Tag Archives: CEO

An official ceremony was held in Dubai to celebrate the partnership of SalamAir with Smart Travel. Captain Mohamed Ahmed, CEO, SalamAir, stated that over the past year, the airline carried over half a million passengers aboard the aircraft and currently operates to nine destinations. SalamAir is the first low-cost carrier from the Sultanate of Oman which started operations about 14 months ago with the preferred aircraft Airbus A320 for its economical standard and comfortable for passengers. Two SalamAir flights operate in Dubai, besides flying to other destinations like Jeddah, Pakistan, Doha, Shiraz, etc. Ahmed further stated that although the flight has the capacity to carry 186 passengers, they only accommodate 174 to provide comfort to passengers. The objective is to ensure the cost is kept at minimal rates so that it is affordable for more travellers.

VFS Global has agreed to take over 100 per cent of the Middle Eastern Facility Management Company (FMC) Al Etimad from TasHeel Group as per a binding agreement signed between both parties. Al Etimad operates as a FMC partner for VFS Global in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and Tunisia. The Al Etimad visa operations in Pakistan are not included in the acquisition. To benefit from operational efficiencies and synergies with VFS Global, Al Etimad will be integrated in VFS Global’s operations after completion of the transaction. This will enable further development of services and solutions, and improve the overall service to the missions served and the visa applicants in the five countries. Zubin Karkaria, CEO, VFS Global Group, “We are very pleased to take over complete ownership of Al Etimad and Vega. It will enable us to accelerate further development of the business and improve overall performance through greater integration. I would like to thank the TasHeel Group for partnering us in successfully managing the visa services operations in these five countries.”

Dubai Airports has confirmed plans to close Dubai International’s (DXB) southern runway for a 45-day period in 2019 to conduct a comprehensive upgrade designed to boost safety, service and capacity levels. The upgrade work is scheduled to take place from April 16 to May 30 when passenger traffic historically ebbs due to a seasonal lull. The southern runway refurbishment project will involve the placement of approximately 60,000 tonnes of asphalt and 8,000m3 of concrete to strengthen and resurface the runway and the adjacent taxiways. While ongoing runway maintenance is scheduled on a weekly basis, more extensive upgrades require a complete closure of the runway. Dubai Airports will also use the opportunity to install 800 km of primary cables and replace over 5,500 runway lights with more modern, economic and environment friendly technology. Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports said, “In the months ahead, we will be working closely with Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, airlines and other stakeholders to ensure we optimise service and capacity during this period next year and minimise the impact on our customers. While we regret any inconvenience this may cause to our airline customers and passengers, these upgrades are absolutely necessary to heighten safety, boost capacity and pave the way for future growth.”

According to the latest report issued by Dubai Airports, passenger traffic at Dubai International (DXB) exceeded 7.9 million in January. DXB welcomed a total of 7,960,146 passengers in January, a small reduction of 1 per cent compared to 8,037,008 recorded in January 2017 when passenger volumes were boosted due to Chinese New Year which fell in February this year. South America was the top region in terms of percentage growth during the month (22.6%), followed by CIS (19.7%) – with a bulk of the increase resulting from the surge on routes like Moscow, Baku, and Kazan among others, and Africa (6.4%) propelled by the launch of new services by Med View and Emirates on routes to Abuja and doubling of Emirates’ services to Lagos. “With passenger numbers nearing 8 million during the first month of the year, we’ve had a very encouraging start to 2018,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports. “What’s even more encouraging is that processes and technologies we have implemented recently are creating a smoother experience for our customers despite the high traffic volumes.” In terms of passenger numbers, routes to the Indian subcontinent topped the list with 1,100,477 passengers followed by Saudi Arabia (650,822 passengers), and the UK (547,286 passengers). London was the top destination city with 333,286 passengers, followed by Kuwait (231,956 passengers) and Mumbai (225,776 passengers).

The Elaf Group recently opened Elaf Galleria, a five-star hotel in Jeddah. The soft opening of the hotel is part of the Group’s strategic expansion plans aimed at further solidifying its presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Elaf Galleria has 364 rooms spread across seven floors on two separate wings enclosed by a vaulted glass and metal roof. The property also features banquet and events facilities, an Executive Lounge and other recreational facilities including a health club and spa. Restaurants providing fine dining inside the hotel include The Kitchen, El-Vaquero, The Birdcage, Milano and Aqua. Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, CEO, Elaf Group said, “The opening of Hotel Galleria by Elaf in Jeddah is in line with ongoing efforts to strengthen our leading presence in the KSA and the rest of the GCC. We remain committed to our goal of supporting Saudi Vision 2030’s objective of reinforcing the national economy with non-oil revenue sources by providing the highest quality of hospitality services to our guests.”

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) is cementing the emirate’s position as one of the top destinations to celebrate Chinese New Year with 10 days of Chinese festivities happening across the city. Running from February 15-24, there will be a host of activities celebrating Chinese New Year for residents and visitors to enjoy, from traditional Chinese dining offerings to breathtaking shows including contortionist dancers, acrobat wheel and a two-time Guinness World record breaking show, as well as shopping promotions in major retail outlets. Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of Dubai Tourism, said: “China is a key source market for us and Dubai welcomes an increasing number of Chinese visitors each year. Along with our strategic partners, we’re excited to announce that this year’s celebration of Chinese New Year will be bigger and better than ever before, with an expanded line up of activities set to spread the festive cheer across the city.”

Shaza Hotels has signed its third Mysk project in the Middle East, Mysk by Shaza, in Palm Jumeirah. The hotel marks a new milestone for Shaza with the entry of the group into the ever-growing Dubai market that has one of the best performing hospitality sectors in the world. The hotel aims to add a new flavour to the Dubai hotel scene, bringing an intimate and personalised experience for both the corporate market and leisure market. Commenting on the project, Simon Coombs, President and CEO, Shaza Hotels said, “Since the recent launch of Mysk by Shaza, we have been actively looking at signing a project here since the need for upscale hotels in Dubai was one of the reasons that encouraged us to create the Mysk brand. I am very happy that the first Mysk in Dubai will be located in such a prestigious location, and I am grateful for Aqua Properties for having entrusted us with their asset.”

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA) increased its focus on the Nordic markets with its first appearance at the MATKA Travel Fair in Helsinki held from January 18-21. Featuring more than 80 countries and 900 exhibitors, the fair gave RAKTDA the opportunity to introduce the diversity of the destination to the attending trade and public in the region. Ras Al Khaimah was the only Middle East destination to be featured in the show and the exhibit brought to life the authentic and nature-based Arabian experience on offer for Nordic holidaymakers. Four co-exhibitors joined the Ras Al Khaimah stand, namely, Knight Tours, Royal Gulf Tourism, Hilton Hotels Ras Al Khaimah, and Dubai Parks and Resorts to showcase experiences and accommodation options. Haitham Mattar, CEO, RAKTDA said, “The Nordics is a very important region for us and we have seen significant growth in visitor numbers from the region over the last couple of years. We believe our unique combination of authentic Arabian hospitality, pristine beaches and outdoor adventure pursuits has great appeal to holidaymakers in the Nordics and the MATKA Travel Fair is an excellent opportunity for us to showcase the diversity Ras Al Khaimah has to offer.”

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.”

The 110-key Oaks Beirut is scheduled to be launched by the middle of this year and will be located in Sodeco, a commercial area of Beirut, approximately five minutes’ drive from the central downtown area and 15 minutes from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport. Minor Hotels signed a management agreement with Allied Investment Group to operate Oaks Beirut. “We are very excited to announce the forthcoming debut of our Oaks brand in Lebanon later this year, commented Dillip Rajakarier, CEO, Minor Hotels. “For Minor Hotels adding Lebanon to our footprint has considerable strategic value and we are pleased to launch our first hotel in the country. Beirut is a dynamic city with so much to offer and is widely regarded as one of the most influential trendsetters in the region.” The property will provide modern accommodation with a selection of guest rooms and suites, including an all-day dining restaurant, lounge bar & café, rooftop pool and bar, plus dedicated conference facilities. Providing the luxury of space, Oaks Hotels & Resorts offers a range of contemporary accommodation, from hotel and resort rooms and suites, to furnished serviced apartments, in central city locations and resort destinations.