Tag Archives: CEO

It’s good news for all adventure seekers from the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, as they’re set to launch the first phase of the longest zip line in the world at mountain Jebel Jais. This multi-million dollar ecotourism project is partnered by world’s leading zip line operator, Toro Verde. With the exact length of the zip line remaining a closely-guarded secret until the multi-million dollar adventure tourism product’s opening, the zip line will propel the UAE’s most northern emirate into the major leagues of global adventure tourism and cement Jebel Jais as the region’s leading active adventure tourism destination. With RAKTDA aiming to secure Guinness World Records status for the world’s longest and highest zip line, Toro Verde UAE, a subsidiary of the Puerto Rico based Magno Genesis Holding Group, has been appointed to construct and operate the attraction. The zip line will be open to all ages, providing participants meet required minimum weight of 35kg and maximum weight of 150kg, and a minimum height of 120cm. Haitham Mattar, CEO, RAKTDA stated at the press conference that this move is to complement Ras al khaimah’s contribution to the overall tourism industry in the UAE. RAK is promoted more as adventure or wellness tourism destination. Toro Verde currently holds the Guinness record for the longest zip line in the world and RAK will be positioning itself as number one by the first week in December. He further went on to state that this will be a destination which could attract both commercial and non- commercial activities. “Building on the success of last year’s launch of the Jebel Jais Via Ferrata adventure product, the new zip line represents Ras Al Khaimah’s …

UAE-headquartered hospitality company, TIME Hotels Management has achieved Green Key status for all of its hotels and hotel apartments across the hospitality groups’ entire portfolio. A leading international standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry, the Green Key award is a voluntary eco-label that represents a commitment by hospitality and tourism establishments to adhere to the strict criteria as stipulated by the Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC). To qualify for the award, TIME Hotels had to pass an exhaustive audit, which recognised TIME’s contribution towards eco-friendly programmes, such as energy and water-saving initiatives, as well as waste management projects, all of which help to reduce TIME’s carbon footprint, limiting its negative effect on the environment. Mohamed Awadalla, CEO, TIME Hotels, said, “The whole ethos of TIME Hotels is built on pursuing an active sustainability strategy that gain stakeholder traction, without whom, we would not be able to incorporate the various initiatives, events and programmes across our entire portfolio. We are no strangers to Green Key certification, but it is testament to the team that we refuse to rest on our laurels and continue to strive to become a more responsible corporate citizen.”

VFS Global has completed the acquisition of visa service provider TT Services (TTS). The transaction enables VFS Global to leverage on core competences and brands and to further enhance operating performance. TT Services is a provider of integrated visa processing solutions with global presence and a comprehensive portfolio of services. TT Services is headquartered in the United Kingdom and has a strong and long-lasting relationship with its client governments and with a commercial partner. The company operates 51 application centres in more than 35 countries and has 216 employees. TTS offers a full range of high quality visa services for its client governments, partners and applicants. Zubin Karkaria, CEO, VFS Global Group, commented: “TT Services has, like VFS Global, extended industry experience of more than 15 years and is a trusted service delivery partner for its clients. I see a strong fit by TTS joining VFS Global. This will enable us to further enhance and extend our services towards our client governments and visa applicants.” The change of control will have no bearing on the business operations of the parties and act as a catalyst to improved services and enhanced client and customer satisfaction.

After a record-breaking 2016, this year is looking just as promising for Ras Al Khaimah International Airport. Passenger volume to date has increased 6% over 2016. On the cargo front, volumes are up 30.2% on prior year as the long-term strategy for the sector, which included additional routes coming on stream, comes to fruition. This growth has also impacted overall aircraft movements which are up 17.6% year-on-year. Mohammed Qazi, CEO, RAK International Airport, who has been driving the strategy, noted, “Year 2017 started strongly as we continued our focus on promoting Ras Al Khaimah as the fastest-growing tourist destination regionally as well as the specialist cargo centre in the regional market, but summer was something we wanted to target this year as an indicator of our growing success. Even though the summer success has seen us breaking previous records, we have already finalised our winter charters schedules and are introducing further new scheduled routes, such as Romania, starting from December.” The continuing growth that’s been experienced means that all passenger, movements and cargo tonnage records since the airport’s original inauguration have now been surpassed. Charter flights have been running throughout the summer for the first time as Ras Al Khaimah moves towards being a year round destination for tourists. In addition the airport’s first scheduled direct service to Europe kicked off with a connection to Prague. “While the commercial performance has been at its strongest in our history, we have also invested in infrastructure with a new departures terminal and we’ll be completing our cargo expansion by the end of the year,” Qazi added. Technological innovation has also been at the heart of this year’s success. For smaller airports such as …

Leading supplier of hygiene products in the Middle East, Dhofar Global has recently announced that it has signed an agreement with AccorHotels, to supply world-class cleaning and hygiene products for its hotels. The deal supports Dhofar Global’s ongoing expansion into new markets, while adding to its increasing list of clients in the hospitality field. The Group operates in the UAE, Oman, Bahrain and the Seychelles. Chandan Singh, CEO, Dhofar Global, said, “The new agreement signed with AccorHotels reflects Dhofar Global’s efforts to continuously broaden its horizons and infiltrate new markets all over the world. This is an opportunity for us to expand our dynamic international portfolio of hospitality clients, while reiterating our commitment to supplying our customers with only the highest quality cleaning and hygiene products. We are pleased to be working alongside AccorHotels to ensure the highest level of hygiene in its hotels across the UAE, Oman, Bahrain and the Seychelles.”

From June to September 2017, flydubai will be providing services to Batumi in Georgia, Qabala in Azerbaijan and Tivat in Montenegro, increasing its network to 93 destinations in 44 countries. Since 2015, flydubai has added 18 new destinations to its network, showing a remarkable rate of growth. “At flydubai, we remain committed to providing our passengers with a variety of destinations to travel to, especially during the summer season,” said Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer, flydubai. “The decision to launch our seasonal routes to complement our existing network is a direct response to customer feedback and we hope our passengers enjoy what these hidden gems have to offer,” he added.

Dubai Future Foundation (DFF) and OnBoard International, one of the top entertainment providers for major airlines across the region, have joined hands to provide in-flight TV reports, broadcast by DFF’s Future Monitor, onboard major Arab and other international flights, flying to destinations like London, Istanbul, New York City, Paris, Shanghai, Stockholm, Tokyo, Toronto, Vienna and Singapore. A major step forward for the aviation industry, the initiative goes beyond spreading knowledge and looks to encourage people to read in Arabic. “Mass media is one of the most effective means to develop people’s knowledge and increase their familiarity with scientific concepts,” his Excellency Abdulla bin Touq, Acting CEO of DFF, noted, reiterating the Foundation’s commitment to working with various government and non-governmental organisations to amplify its reach among the youth in the region.

The Elaf Group of Companies, a SEDCO Holding Group company and a leading provider of travel, tourism and hospitality services, has announced the opening of its latest five-star hotel in Jeddah. The latest addition to Elaf Group’s growing portfolio of hotels is part of its recent implementation of a strategic expansion initiative, aimed at further reinforcing its leading presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s booming tourism and hospitality segment — in line with the goals and objectives of Saudi Vision 2030 to support the national economy and to promote tourism, particularly tourism for religious purposes, as a key contributor in the efforts to achieve a non-oil economy. Ziyad Bin Mahfouz, CEO, Elaf Group, said, “The new hotel is being expected to help address the demand for more hotel rooms in Jeddah, which clearly demonstrates the country’s rapidly thriving tourism industry — ably reflected in its continuous Year-on-Year (YoY) growth. Rest assured, we remain steadfast in our commitment to provide the highest quality of services to offer an unforgettable experience in our hotel and exemplary service to our guests.

Turkish Airlines has launched new flights from various cities in the Middle East and Germany to key tourist destinations in Turkey. The national carrier will launch direct flights between Turkish cities such as Bodrum, Antalya and Trabzon and the Middle East, beginning from this month. The airlines will be providing a total of 16 weekly flights between Jeddah, Kuwait, Riyadh, Al Qassim, Yanbu, Medina and Trabzon. Furthermore, they will also be providing 13 weekly flights between Jeddah, Baghdad, Erbil, Riyadh, Amman, Kuwait, Sulaymaniyah and Antalya during this summer. Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Stuttgart are other cities benefitting from the new direct flights, connecting travellers from Germany to Izmir. Additionally, passengers from Kuwait will also be able to travel directly to Izmir. Commenting on these direct flights, Turkish Airlines’ Deputy Chairman and CEO, Bilal Ekşi, said, “We are always looking to provide our passengers with the most convenient and time-efficient way of travel. Tourists worldwide have been continously increasing due to the fantastic attractions and features provided by all our Turkish cities. As we move forward, our goal will be to create these direct flights from all the markets, we operate globally so that travellers can now fly directly to their destination of choice.”  

Dubai International (DXB) welcomed more than 7.6 million passengers in April 2017 according to the monthly traffic report issued by operator Dubai Airports. Passenger numbers reached 7,622,946 in April, up by 9.2 per cent, compared to 6,979,063 recorded during the same month in 2016. Following four months of robust growth, the year-to-date traffic reached 30,119,542 compared to 27,926,958 passengers during the corresponding period last year, an increase of 7.8 per cent. “The growth at DXB has been very satisfying in the first four months of the year, and with the Islamic festival of Eid Al Fitr coinciding with the start of the summer holidays next month, we are confident the numbers will boost our performance in the first half,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports.