Category Archives: Technology

Travelport had a record-breaking January for fare shopping, with unprecedented year-on-year (YoY) percentage increases in peak (one-day) shopping rate messages per second and in overall 24-hour message volumes. A 77 per cent YoY increase was recorded in peak shopping rate messages per second as compared to the highest similar peak day in January 2017. For total shopping message volumes received during a single 24-hour period, Travelport recorded a 79 per cent YoY increase compared to the highest such single-day volume in January 2017. Travelport recorded a 169% increase in peak shopping rate messages per second from the highest recorded day in January 2017 compared to the highest similar peak day in January 2016. For total shopping message volumes received during a single 24-hour period, Travelport saw a 161 per cent increase compared to the highest such single-day volume in January 2016. Travelport’s most recent numbers show that the company processed some 2.4 trillion shopping transactions during 2017 and prices six billion-plus unique itineraries every day.

Amadeus has entered into a partnership with Sharaf Travel for end-to-end automation throughout its business operations. Set to go live from April 2018, Amadeus will assist the travel company to focus its business on online success, using the latest Amadeus web services and mobile traveller products. All Amadeus solutions will be adopted across Sharaf Travel’s UAE and Oman operations. Jayaram, Managing Director, Sharaf Travel, said, “Automation will enhance our business offerings and help us to better serve our customers. Amadeus was a natural choice for this transformation for its strong portfolio of solutions that are ideal for our needs.” This partnership will enable the best-in-class offerings to Amadeus’ customers and streamlined services that will boost the company’s competitive edge. Using the latest generation of travel technology, Amadeus Web Services offer Sharaf Travel unparalleled connectivity to the entire range of Amadeus content all from a single point of access, supporting easily-customised travel booking applications. With Amadeus Mobile Traveller, Sharaf Travel will also be able to stay connected to its customers 24/7, providing them with a 360° travel experience wherever they might be in the world. Graham Nichols, Managing Director, Amadeus Gulf, said, “Our technology-driven solutions enable our customers to benefit from cutting-edge innovations that streamline travel agency processes.”

The Department of Culture and Tourism–Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is set to launch ‘Abu Dhabi Culture’ app on February 27. The digital initiative will act as a one-stop reference point for all information relating to culture in Abu Dhabi  and will be available in three languages – Arabic, English and French. It will feature on iOS and Android and can be accessed online at abudhabiculture.ae. The initiative, planned to launch as part of UAE Innovation Month, will allow users to gain instant access to information on all aspects of cultural life and heritage in the emirate. ‘Abu Dhabi Culture’ will educate culture-seeking locals, expats and tourists on one level, at the same time as becoming a reference point for researchers and academics in search of more detailed information. “This product has been designed to maximise accessibility to Abu Dhabi’s rich cultural landscape,” said HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General, DCT. “The Abu Dhabi Culture digital experience will be a truly connected hub, immersing users and inspiring them to experience our culture for themselves. The mobile app will provide a ‘360 degree experience’, a comprehensive interactive map, a personalised interface, user-generated stories as well as features which will allow travellers to plan their trip,” Ghobash said.

Wego, the largest online travel marketplace in the MENA region, announced their partnership with Gulf Air which will provide Wego users online access to the airline’s flight-related information and booking capabilities. “Our agreement with Gulf Air reinforces Wego’s leading position in the Middle East,” commented Dean Wicks, Chief Flights Officer, Wego. “Wego will distribute Gulf Air flights, pricing and schedule information across our extensive marketing channels, allowing travellers easy access to flights with an airline that is famous for its traditional Arabian hospitality and renowned for being family and business friendly,” Wicks continued. “Wego’s business is crucial to helping key industry providers extend into new markets in what’s become a fast paced and highly competitive business,” he added. As Gulf Air prepares to welcome 39 new Boeing and Airbus aircraft, greater network expansion is anticipated alongside significant product and service enhancements. In 2017, Wego introduced Progressive Web App (PWA) technology combined with Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP), to become the fastest loading mobile marketplace in the world.

Dadabhai Travel has renewed an exclusive agreement with Sabre Corporation to continue facilitating travel through its industry-leading platform. Dadabhai Travel has been using Sabre technology exclusively for more than ten years, which has helped expand its presence in the Middle East while delivering a superior service to its corporate customers. The travel management company now plans to broaden its offerings to customers across other markets in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. “Dadabhai has proven its position as a leading regional travel company,” said Roshan Mendis, Senior Vice President, EMEA and APAC, Sabre Travel Network. “By providing customers access to competitive travel products and services, it has successfully transformed from a Bahrain-based travel agency into a strong regional player. With Sabre’s substantial network in the region, we are best-placed to help the company scale and expand through the latest technology and consultancy. It’s an exciting collaboration and we look forward to a continuing partnership with Dadabhai to provide a seamless travel experience to customers across the continent.”  

Having achieved the milestone of 250 carriers, Travelport has now extended its leading position in airline merchandising by offering richer content to five times as many airlines as its nearest competitor. Travelport announced that over 250 airlines now benefit from its Rich Content and Branding merchandising tool which gives agencies and travel bookers a graphically rich experience when booking branded fares and ancillaries. Launched in 2014, Rich Content and Branding allows network airlines and low-cost carriers to differentiate themselves through ls and detailed descriptions of their products and services. Airlines benefiting from branded fares and ancillaries include IndiGo, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France/KLM, Iberia and low-cost airlines such as Mango Airlines, Aegean, Ryanair and Loganair. Major airlines currently or soon offering access to their branded fares through Rich Content and Branding include China Southern Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways, Emirates, Norwegian, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and Avianca. In addition, Etihad Airways and Jetstar are introducing no-bag fares on long-haul routes, a development fully supported by Travelport’s new tool.

Noor Bank has collaborated with UB QFPay, the joint venture between Dubai-based United Brands (UBPAY) and China-based QFPay, to bring a new and innovative mobile payment solution to the UAE. The solution, a first-of-its-kind in the region, will enable tourists as well as overseas visitors to make payments at retail outlets in the UAE using multiple international mobile wallets from various markets. As part of its collaboration, Noor Bank will handle all transaction settlements for the solution while UB QFPay will allow retail outlets within the UAE to accept secure payments from tourists who wish to pay from their preferred mobile wallets for their purchases. John Iossifidis, CEO, Noor Bank said, “I am proud of the collaborative efforts between UB QFPay and our Global Transaction Services (GTS) team to introduce a new payment solution in the market. The solution will allow overseas visitors to use international mobile wallets for the purchase of goods and services in UAE, for the first time. This partnership is well aligned to the strategic focus of the bank on delivering an enhanced customer experience through digital transformation.” Ahmed Alrafi, Managing Director, UB QFPay said, “Chinese tourists are a huge segment for retailers in the UAE, who have focused on attracting more Chinese shoppers to their stores and UB QFPay makes them ‘China Ready’ by allowing Chinese tourists to pay with their preferred mode of payment.”

Leading payment solutions provider in the Middle East, Network International (MEA) has strengthened its product proposition to the hospitality sector following a partnership with 3C Payment, a global provider of payment solutions. Network International is the largest merchant acquirer in the UAE and the first in the region to offer hospitality merchants access to an integrated F&B solution on the 3C Integra terminal range. The company’s solution is geared to meet the specific needs of table service restaurant outlets, enabling them to recall a list of open bills by table or waiter ID. To help with large group billing, waiting staff can recall and print itemised table bills from the POS device in addition to offering split bill payments via cash or card payment, without affecting the till functionality or tip handling. Paul Clarke, Head of Product & Innovation, Network International, commented: “One of the strongest and most vibrant sectors in the UAE’s domestic market, the food and beverage industry is rapidly adapting to the digital age in which customers expect faster and seamless ways to pay. Our new solution enables customers at F&B outlets to pay faster than ever before and make it more convenient to split bills, leave tips and simply enjoy their dining experience.” Network International’s holistic solution incorporates PCI 3.x Worldline devices and 3C Payment’s Integra Pay@Table terminal solution, integrated with Oracle Hospitality Simphony, the premiere cloud and mobile hospitality management platform to create a flexible integrated payments solution with specialist functionality and reporting across multiple channels. The terminal solution is PCI (payment card industry) Point-to-Point-Encryption (P2PE) validated, providing a secure and effective solution to protect cardholder data. The solution’s universal payment gateway is able to …

UAE-based business review directory and website, Qayyem Limited has launched a new website for consumers in Kuwait. Users in Kuwait can access kuwait.qayyem.com, while in the United Arab Emirates, consumers can visit www.qayyem.com. Qayyem aims to bring together the experiences of shoppers, diners, and travellers to help build a wealth of information that other users can access to inform their own buying decisions. The websites crowdsource reviews for business in all sectors including retail, travel, restaurants and more. Qayyem uses an AI spam detector as well as human review when necessary in order to ensure the legitimacy and accuracy of reviews. There are 130,000 business already registered in UAE and 10,000 businesses registered in Kuwait.

Amadeus Gulf has launched the Amadeus Champions Club, a first platform of its kind in the region dedicated to connecting travel agents and industry players to discuss industry policies, share best practices, access market intelligence and more. Members offered a space in the club are recognised for their exceptional knowledge of history within the Gulf’s travel industry. In addition to gaining access to exclusive networking events, the programme will offer participants unique skills development opportunities, engaging with global leaders in their respective fields. Cristian Sucu, Director Operations – Amadeus Gulf, said, “Innovation is at the heart of Amadeus, driving us to create new solutions that bring our customers together for the benefit of travellers everywhere. The Amadeus Champions Club establishes a platform that has never before been available for representatives of the Gulf’s travel sector, enabling them to expand upon their knowledge and create new synergies within the travel market.” The establishment of the club within UAE reflects a shift in global economic and travel trends that has placed the Middle East at the heart of many of the world’s fastest growing markets.