Category Archives: Technology

Answering the consumer demand for stronger privacy protection, Careem, the leading ride-hailing service in the Middle East and North Africa, has launched a new call masking feature, which is already live in the UAE and will be introduced in other regional markets, including Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, within the coming 30 days. The feature gives Careem’s customers the option to keep their phone numbers undisclosed to the Captain (driver), thus adding another layer to customer privacy and security. Call masking is the latest in a series of safety features introduced by Careem in the recent past such as the facial recognition technology.

Amadeus Gulf, a provider of technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, has announced that 1500 travel agents across the region have subscribed to its breakthrough product, Amadeus Voice. A desktop-based app, Amadeus Voice provides users with access to a range of services that complement their daily tasks, enabling them to work more efficiently while keeping in touch with the latest news from their industry. Developed based on Amadeus’ 30-year relationship with travel industry professionals, Amadeus Voice uses push technology to send relevant data updates as needed, in real time, to the users’ computers, giving them access to daily industry news, along with product updates and announcements, so as to keep them informed of the latest innovate solutions; allowing them to keep a track of the major events through the app’s calendar; and providing them with instant notifications on any critical issues. Other features on the app include access to resources via the user’s computer, access to 24/7 Amadeus support hub and Amadeus company news and updates.

Travelport partners with Groundspan to introduce the fully integrated ground transportation solution, Travelport Drive Me. Designed to be the fastest and the most efficient way to book ground transportation services, Drive Me revolutionises car bookings to deliver a seamless experience to travellers. It provides options for travellers who desire a high-quality, personalised and reliable car transfer service experience across their journey. Powered by Groundspan’s global network of over 5,000 car service providers with professional drivers, Travelport Drive Me enables Travelport Smartpoint connected travel agents to seamlessly manage ground transportation, just as they book flights, hotel accommodation or car rental.

The Sizzling Summer app, which helps users to find deals and offers at Meraas destinations quickly and easily, is soon going to collaborate with Careem to provide its customers an enhanced experience. Customers will now be able to see the estimated time of arrival of their closest Careem and also the approximate journey time. Careem, the region’s leading ride hailing app, has revealed that users of the Sizzling Summer app can now book a ride directly through the app, using a new feature designed to make it easier to redeem hundreds of summertime offers at various destinations in Dubai. With new deals being added all the way until the end of September, there is no shortage of promotions at the participating outlets at Meraas’ destinations: City Walk, The Beach, Boxpark, Last Exit, The Outlet Village, Kite Beach and Jumeirah Bay. The seasonal promotion will encompass a variety of offerings from Galeries Lafayette, Valiant Clinic and Nikki Beach to The Green Planet, Leopold’s of London and Qasr Al Sultan, allowing people to eat, shop and relax for less this summer. The Sizzling Summer app will be free to download for iOS and Android via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

Tink Labs Limited has appointed a GCC Management Team to drive the rollout of its mobile travel solution ‘handy’ across the region. ‘handy’ is an innovative smartphone provided as a complimentary amenity in partner hotel rooms. It integrates the hotel services as well as offers travellers unlimited connectivity on the go, free-of-charge international calls and tailored travel guides. Heading the management team is Sverre Christiansen, who joins here as General Manager – GCC, Tink Labs Limited. Talking about the product, Christiansen explains, “handy not only helps hotels with providing their guests with a device that assists them in travelling across new destinations through tailored city guides but also in extending their in-house marketing and concierge facilities via an easy-to-use smartphone. Moreover, available with pre-installed mobile applications, it can show details of discounts and promotions and allow visitors to remain in contact with their hotel and personal network at all times.” With the support of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), Tink Labs has already delivered a successful pilot project in Dubai in association with Fairmont The Palm, Le Meridien Mina Seyahi, The Westin Dubai and Dusit Thani Dubai.

AirWayBill, the peer-to-peer shipping platform, has partnered with Careem, the region’s favourite car-booking app to be its official transportation partner in the Middle East and support carriers in getting their items to recipients, quickly and more efficiently. Users can avail of up to $15 off their rides from the airport when they’re connected through both apps. AirWayBill will send the promo codes of Careem to buyers and carriers whenever they have a shipment in process as a bonus to their agreement. Khaled Sehly, co-founder and managing director AirWayBill, said, “Careem is renowned in the region for their innovative approach to getting people to their destinations in style and comfort, and we’ve opened a door to buying and receiving items in a more cost-effective manner than traditional methods. This all relies on the trust and honesty of a community of shoppers and travellers; it’s a mutual relationship that gets things and people moved around in comfort and with efficiency.”

TVS Travels, a travel management company in the Middle East, has reaffirmed a longstanding business relationship with global technology company, Sabre Corporation, to support its global growth, drive operational efficiencies and achieve a higher level of customer satisfaction. TVS Travels will continue using Sabre technology to manage its business operations including shopping, booking and managing travel for its clients, as well as leverage mobile, data and automation capabilities to provide clients with a better, more personalized travel experience.  The company will also benefit from a range of new features and capabilities when a new version of Sabre’s solution, Sabre Red Workspace, is launched next year. “Our ambitious expansion strategy will see us extend into regional markets and provide a new level of customer satisfaction and value throughout the travel journey,” said Dr. Hyder Ali, Chairman of TVS Hyder group. “Sabre’s technology gives us a distinct advantage over our competitors. Their deep understanding of the travel industry, its challenges and future traveler expectations equip us with the right tools and technologies to stay ahead of the game and anticipate traveler needs.”

Travelport announced the launch of a new mobile app, Travelport Fusion, for airlines that can work across all host systems in response to the growing need to meet the expectations of today’s mobile-first customer. The new product gives airlines end-to-end trip engagement via mobile, allowing them to develop more valuable and lasting relationships with their customers. For airlines who need highly customized mobile solutions adapted to their specific digital roadmap, Travelport Digital will continue to offer its unique and proven blend of market leading design, agile delivery and mobile customer engagement solutions. The first release of Travelport Fusion will include a rich set of features such as mobile search, booking, check-in, boarding, passport scanning, day of travel assistance, itinerary management and real-time flight alerts.Commenting on the launch of Travelport Fusion, Fergal Kelly, CCO of Travelport Digital in Dublin stated “While we will continue to offer bespoke, high-end solutions as we have always done, Fusion is ideal for a wider market of airlines who now wish to move quickly on mobile.”

Al Rajhi Aviation Company, a leading travel company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has signed an agreement with leading technology provider to global travel and tourism industry, Sabre Corporation, to expand its operation, deliver seamless travel experience and deploy their corporate travel strategy. Under this agreement, Al Rajhi Aviation gains access to Sabre’s broad portfolio of technology solutions, including its industry-leading Sabre Red Workspace agency solution; Sabre Red App Centre, the world’s first B2B online travel app marketplace, and the latest mobile, data analytics, personalisation and automation capabilities in addition to Sabre’s franchise solutions and the leading corporate travel solution- GetThere. Using these technology, Al Rajhi Aviation Company will be able to achieve their vision to delivering world class travel services to their customers. “The Saudi traveller is a high adopter of latest technology and expect an uncompromised level of service that is customized specially for him and can be accessed through the devices he uses,” said Daniel Naoumovitch, CEO, Sabre Travel Network Middle East. “Al Rajhi Aviation Company realizes the importance of deploying advanced technology to delivering personalized experience to the tech-savvy travelers and achieve travel excellence. We are proud to work with Al Rajhi Aviation Company to deploy new online, mobile, franchise and personalization solutions that will attain high level of satisfaction and customer’s loyalty. We are committed to support their expansion strategy and growth with latest technology and talented team to deliver products and solutions that meet their diverse customer needs and support their business goals.”

Travelport and Indian hotel chain Treebo Hotels have announced a partnership, the inaugural GDS deal for the hotel chain. Headquartered in Bangalore, Treebo Hotels operate across over 34 Indian cities. Under the debut agreement, Treebo Hotels will join over 650,000 unique hotel properties available through Travelport’s Travel Commerce Platform and its distributor in India, ITQ. Enabling Indian and International corporate travelers and travel agencies in over 180 countries, to have real-time access to the chain’s full property inventory. Travelport-connected agencies across the globe will now be able to take advantage of Travelport Smartpoint to search, view and make booking decisions based on travel choice information beyond just rate and availability. Sidharth Gupta, Co-Founder of Treebo Hotels said, “We are delighted for striking our inaugural GDS partnership with Travelport and its recognized distributor in India, ITQ. We are confident that this collaboration will empower Travelport-connected agents to choose quality accommodation from across Treebo properties in India during their business visits across major cities and will significantly support our business expand its presence across the globe.” Niklas Andreen, Vice President and Managing Director, Global Hospitality Commerce at Travelport commented: “We are excited to partner with Treebo Hotels, one of India’s key hotel suppliers and our collaboration with Treebo Hotels will help further establish their position within India’s budget accommodation space. Their wide variety of destinations, accommodation types and price ranges greatly enriches Travelport’s unrivalled choice of global travel content; providing agents and partner companies with countless opportunities to check availability of inventory and make bookings.”