Category Archives: Govt

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prime Minister and Chairman of the Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced today the Diriyah Project as PIF’s fifth giga-project, reflecting Diriyah’s status as a unique destination with distinctive cultural, historical, and tourism landmarks. The announcement reflects HRH the Crown Prince’s efforts in enabling the Saudi cultural  identity, which includes the Diriyah Project due to its historic, cultural, and political value proudly showcasing to the world Saudi Arabia’s 300 years of history. Diriyah Project is a globally significant destination that includes the Turaif District UNESCO World Heritage Site. These cultural and historical aspects position Diriyah as an unrivaled destination of global significance where the authenticity of Saudi heritage can be celebrated, revealing the historic origins of modern Saudi Arabia. Tourists will have the opportunity to explore and get to know Saudi’s history, and its culture at the city’s museums and purpose-built pavilions. The Diriyah giga-project is expected to enable many strategic domestic sectors, create partnerships with the local private sector, and unlock many new investment opportunities throughout its development and production phases in sectors such as construction, operation and management of hotels, retail, entertainment, and cultural facilities, creating thousands of new job opportunities and providing a series of initiatives designed to contribute to enriching the quality of life for residents and visitors. Giga-projects form a key part of PIF’s strategy due to their ability to create new economic ecosystems that drive economic growth and diversification in Saudi Arabia. Diriyah becomes the fifth PIF giga-project after NEOM, Red Sea, Qiddiya, and Roshn projects. The Diriyah Project aligns with PIF’s strategy to focus on unlocking the capabilities of promising sectors, including tourism and …

Hajj and Umrah tour operator Mawasim, part of Almosafer – Seera Group’s travel platform, has recorded strong growth in Umrah bookings, with its new offices in Indonesia and Pakistan driving significant growth in pilgrim arrivals. The two countries are also the top international markets for Umrah bookings for Mawasim in 2022. Unveiling the new trends in Umrah travel at the 2023 Conference & Exhibition for Hajj and Umrah Services (Hajj Expo), the largest conference and exhibition for Hajj and Umrah services, Mawasim forecast exceptional growth for the coming year, with pilgrim arrivals from focus markets including Egypt, Algeria, India, Turkey, Malaysia, Iraq and Jordan, in addition to Indonesia and Pakistan. At Hajj Expo, organised by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Mawasim is showcasing its competencies and proven track record in delivering seamless Umrah services for pilgrims from around the world. The company reported strong growth in the last two quarters of 2022, despite the late start of Umrah, welcoming nearly 31,000 pilgrims from 43 countries and working with over 214 agents. Pilgrims accounted for a total of 81,730 room nights across 114 hotels with the largest number of bookings coming from Pakistan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Singapore and Egypt. With travel restrictions limiting Umrah arrivals from inbound markets during the pandemic, pilgrims have returned to make the most of their spiritual trips to Makkah and Madinah with group trips averaging 8 days and 40 passengers per booking. The increase in Umrah travel follows recent reforms in Saudi Arabia permitting visitors to perform Umrah on any visa, in addition to general visa policies that have eased access to the Kingdom with residents of the GCC now being able to obtain a visa …

The latest development project in the emirate of Fujairah is to develop the “Qidfa ” area aiming to attract 100,000 tourists annually by developing the tourism potential and introducing the distinctive capabilities that the region enjoys through the media to enhance its location as a tourist destination. The plan also works to launch 50 development projects for the region’s youth, in addition to training 200 youth and young women in various fields and sectors, in cooperation with a large group of strategic partners from the public and private sectors. In the government of Fujairah website, it further states that according to Emirates news the development paths of the “Qidfa” development plan attach great importance to youth by providing them with all means of support and enabling them to unleash their energies and raise their participation in various development paths. This path includes the establishment of commercial spaces and a local market for farmers and the development of innovative ways to market agricultural products to the people of the region in all emirates of the country. and its cities. The path of developing development projects is based on the construction of new pedestrian roads and bicycle paths between farms and linking them with the waterfront, in addition to developing the streets leading to the waterfront, and constructing car parks. In the course of village coordination, a tourist entrance will be built and guiding boards will be placed in all areas, in addition to renovating and unifying the side walls to create an attractive appearance and a tourist identity that reflects the unique natural capabilities of the region and highlights it as a tourist center. The path includes the development of the …

Abu Dhabi Maritime, established by the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) and AD Ports Group as the primary custodian of Abu Dhabi’s waterways, has announced that it has launched a new Public Water Taxi service within the greater Yas Bay and Raha Beach community, in collaboration with Miral, Abu Dhabi’s leading creator of immersive destinations and experiences. The Public Water Taxi service will enhance connectivity between a number of Abu Dhabi’s waterfront attractions while offering an alternative transport option for the public. It will initially operate across high-demand locations including Yas Bay, Yas Marina and Al Bandar with further stops to follow. The service will be open seven days a week following scheduled timings which ensure vessel availability at each stop every hour. H.E. Dr. Salem Khalfan Al Kaabi, Director General of Operational Affairs, Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) said: “We are working closely with AD Ports Group as part of our collaboration with Abu Dhabi Maritime to provide advanced services that will boost the emirate’s connectivity making access to high-demand destinations even easier for Abu Dhabi residents and tourists. The new Public Water Taxi service underscores our efforts and commitment to developing state-of-the-art maritime services needed to support Abu Dhabi’s global position as one of the best destinations to live, work and visit.” Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO of Miral, said: “Our partnership with Abu Dhabi Maritime for the launch of the Public Water Taxi Service reiterates our commitment towards further positioning Yas Island as a top global destination for entertainment and leisure. With enhanced connectivity, residents and visitors will have the opportunity to navigate, explore and enjoy the island’s world-class offerings and landmarks. “The launch …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) successfully concluded the ‘Experience Abu Dhabi GCC Roadshow 2022’ in Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, and Kuwait recently. The roadshow drew the participation of 17 DCT Abu Dhabi partners, including Etihad Airways, the national carrier of the UAE; and Miral Destinations, the one-stop trade and promotional partner for Yas Island and Saadiyat Island. The partners jointly showcased how GCC families, couples and youth can enjoy Abu Dhabi’s diverse range of exciting, inspiring and restoring experiences in the winter season. The roadshow kicked off in Saudi Arabia, a top five source market for Abu Dhabi,  with the final leg concluding in Kuwait. Through one-on-one meetings, presentations and group discussions, DCT Abu Dhabi and its delegation met with nearly 600 travel trade professionals where they presented the new destination campaign, ‘Experience Abu Dhabi. Find Your Pace’ as well as highlighted the action-packed Abu Dhabi Calendar that continue to feature a vibrant line-up of sports, family fun, culture, music and nightlife events. Abdulla Yousuf, Director of Travel Trade and Market Development at DCT Abu Dhabi said: “It was an absolute pleasure to meet our valued travel trade partners in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, and to share everything that Abu Dhabi has to offer in the new year and beyond. The GCC region continues to be one of our biggest source markets for leisure travel in Abu Dhabi. Through this roadshow, we were able to reaffirm our support for our valued stakeholders, showcase our destination highlights, and introduce our new destination campaign, which is inspiring more and more travellers to consider Abu Dhabi for an unrivalled holiday experience.” The roadshow also spotlighted the many …

Emirates has sealed an agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas to promote tourism to the Caribbean archipelago. The airline and The Bahamas’ Ministry of Tourism will embark on joint initiatives to boost visitor traffic into the islands from key markets across Emirates’ network. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group Chairman and Chief Executive and HE Tony Joudi, Ambassador of The Bahamas to the UAE and the State of Qatar at the Emirates Group Headquarters. Also present at the signing ceremony was Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer and Salem Obaidalla, Emirates’ Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations for the Americas. His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Emirates Group Chairman and Chief Executive said: “We are pleased to collaborate with The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Bahamas in supporting its goals to boost the nation’s tourism economy. Through our partnerships with United and Air Canada, we look forward to playing a key role in promoting The Bahamas as a key leisure destination. Our global customers from across our network can enjoy Emirates’ services to our points in North America and benefit from enhanced connectivity and access to the islands.” His Excellency Tony Joudi, Ambassador of The Bahamas to the UAE and the State of Qatar said: “I would like to thank Emirates for playing a role in strengthening the connection between the two countries. Tourism is the lifeblood of our nation’s economy and, by growing visitor arrivals to our tropical island paradise, we hope to achieve our goals of stimulating the tourism economy and providing impetus to the business climate. “Emirates is a …

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced the launch of a range of products, packages and experiences for pilgrims from Turkey who are wishing to visit Makkah and Madinah. A special trade roadshow hosted in Istanbul recently by the Saudi Tourism Authority announced that Turkish citizens can now obtain an entry visa into Saudi quickly and easily. Turkish nationals wishing to visit Saudi will now have the option to obtain a tourist visa through the Saudi Embassy or Consulate in Turkey, the visa issued within 48 hours through accredited travel and tourism offices in Turkey which are listed on the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. Residents of the United States of America, United Kingdom, and European Union countries, or holders of United States, United Kingdom, and Schengen active visas; can obtain the visa upon arrival at the international airports in the cities of Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh and Dammam. The Ministry of Hajj & Umrah also launched Nusuk (nusuk.sa/tr), an integrated digital government platform designed to enhance and enrich the Umrah experience for Muslims visiting Makkah and Madinah in Turkish. The platform will enable simpler arrival procedures for visitors to perform Umrah and a range of services that will include facilitating visas, permits, booking processes and procedures along with special packages for Makkah, Madina and a host of other historical religious sites in Saudi. Additionally, Saudi citizens can now issue a personal visit visa for their friends, as can citizens and residents wishing to host their relatives.  This can be done through the unified national visa platform visa.mofa.gov.sa. Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority and Managing Director of Nusuk, said: “Saudi continues its efforts …

One of the latest projects coming up in the Eastern coast is the new Khorfakkan Hotel and Waterpark which is located on a reclaimed land opposite to the Khorfakkan Port. The development features a hotel, waterpark and retail area that will maximize connectivity to the beach. These functions are located on the front edge and create a direct link to the sea. A marina front will be developed, allowing the fully take advantage of the plot, and will include a yacht bay along with branded residences facing the marina port. The 75 key hotel will feature all facilities including a gym, spa etc and the main attraction will be the water park and the mall which will bring in more visitors both international and domestic. More details on the project are yet to be released.

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 …