Tag Archives: destination

SAUDIA Group Partners with the Riyadh Season 2024 to launch the BLVD Runway Zone

SAUDIA Group has collaborated with Riyadh Season 2024 to unveil the “BLVD Runway” zone as part the season. This innovative zone, themed around an airport runway, is now open to visitors featuring three SAUDIA Boeing 777 aircraft that have been transformed to provide a unique setting for entertainment, shopping, dining, and interactive experiences. H.E. Advisor Turki Alalsheikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, received a symbolic key to the aircraft from H.E. Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of SAUDIA Group, marking the zone’s official launch, which will continue for two months. The zone, spans 140,000 square meters, and includes 13 retail stores, 13 interactive experiences, and five restaurants. A 12-day spectacle unfolded as the three aircraft were transported overland from Jeddah to Riyadh. Led by H.E. Turki Alsheikh, the journey garnered significant attention on social media, with each city along the route organizing welcoming ceremonies, highlighting the Kingdom’s logistical advancements. The event was thoroughly documented with videos and photos, which received widespread coverage across various media platforms. H.E. Engr. Ibrahim Al-Omar, Director General of SAUDIA Group, stated: “We are proud to be part of this historic moment, marking our participation in Riyadh Season, a key enabler of the Saudi Vision 2030 objectives. The season has experienced exceptional growth and transformation year after year and is one of the most anticipated entertainment events, under the direct supervision of H.E. Turki Alalsheikh. This collaboration is one of the fruits of Saudia’s sponsorship of Riyadh Season 2024 as a platinum and official airline partner. The launch event featured presentations by technicians from SAUDIA Technic – a subsidiary of SAUDIA Group – detailing the stages of dismantling and transport of the aircraft, two of which …

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Qatar to attract medical tourists with its new initiative

Qatar is looking at promoting its premier specialised medical procedures center to attract medical tourists. Conveniently situated at the crossroads of East and West, Qatar with its world-class healthcare system, renowned for its advanced technology, state-of-the-art facilities, warm hospitality, and unparalleled accessibility. With specialised hospitals for paediatric and women’s health, as well as world-renowned orthopaedic experts, Qatar’s medical excellence is consistently ranked among the top five globally for quality of care, with highly trained professionals and advanced facilities equipped to handle even the most complex medical cases. Being away from home during a medical procedure can be daunting, but Qatar’s proximity to major cities allows families to visit with ease. With most major cities just a convenient six to eight-hour flight away, Qatar’s strategic location seamlessly connects over 177 destinations across the USA, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. This ease of access is further enhanced by Qatar’s welcoming visa policies, with visa-on-arrival options available to citizens from 102 countries. Whether it’s a quick flight from Europe or a short trip from neighbouring Gulf countries, patients, along with their families and friends, can easily access Qatar. Qatar’s commitment to medical excellence is evident in its state-of-the-art healthcare facilities, consistently ranked among the top globally. Institutions such as Sidra Hospital, specialising in paediatric and women’s health, made headlines with the discovery and diagnosis of a new gastroenterological disease, which saved the lives of two young brothers through a precision medicine treatment programme. This breakthrough is set to influence how the disease is diagnosed and treated worldwide. Aspetar, the Gulf’s first specialised orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital, has become the facility of choice for global professional athletes seeking medical care, including notable …

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Dubai emerges as one of the world’s most popular wedding destinations

At the 5th edition of the Dubai Global Wedding Excellence (GWE) retreat and forum recently where the event provides a platform for representatives from the wedding, lifestyle and events sectors to network, share ideas and exchange best practices it was shared that Dubai is fast emerging as the city of choice for destination weddings, with a growing number of wedding and event planners across the world recommending the city to couples as the perfect venue to celebrate their weddings. The city’s world-class infrastructure, picturesque resorts, luxury hospitality offerings, services, exceptional track record for safety, and diverse tourism attractions have made it the ideal destination for organising memorable social events. People across the world are increasingly choosing Dubai to celebrate not only weddings but also milestone celebrations and personal occasions. With the availability of highly-skilled wedding and event planners, its distinctive locations, eclectic culinary scene, cultural diversity, and unmatched packages for all budgets, Dubai offers a special experience for wedding couples and guests. As part of efforts to showcase Dubai as a hub for destination weddings, the city hosted the 5th edition of the Dubai Global Wedding Excellence (GWE) retreat and forum from January 9-10. The event drew wide participation from industry and destination experts, event and wedding planners and companies specialised in providing wedding facilities and services Laila Suhail, CEO of Strategic Alliances & Partnerships Sector, Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, commented: “We are proud to highlight Dubai’s world class proposition as the city of choice for destination weddings in line with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the …

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DCT Abu Dhabi meets 600 travel trade partners in GCC as they launch their new campaign

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 …

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Prophet develops Destination Brand and Campaign for Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism

Leading growth and transformation consultancy Prophet announced the launch of the destination brand and launch campaign for Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT). Armed with the desire to position Abu Dhabi as more diverse, open and progressive, and to better promote the emirate’s heritage and culture, DCT engaged Prophet to design a destination brand and campaign that could work to inspire, excite, restore and welcome the world to enjoy its unique offering. “Abu Dhabi has been developing rapidly and it was our job to tap into the essence of this fascinating place and design a brand and campaign to share with the world,” said Jessica Holdcroft, partner at Prophet who led the strategy on the project. “We took a customer-centric, data-led, approach to developing the brand, starting with a deep immersion in all that Abu Dhabi has to offer – both the tangible and the intangible – and to see first-hand the diversity of experiences on offer.” The new campaign: Experience Abu Dhabi. Find Your Pace has now been unveiled in Abu Dhabi, the GCC, France, the U.K. and the U.S. Celebrating its Emirati heritage and seamlessly connecting it to the living culture offered by the Saadiyat Cultural District – home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi – and Yas Island’s exciting theme park and waterfront attractions, the destination campaign welcomes the world to enjoy Abu Dhabi’s enriching experiences, at their own pace. From the positioning and messaging, to the verbal and visual expression, the campaign was designed to support Abu Dhabi’s growth ambition to be among world-class destinations of choice,” said Clive Rohald, partner and executive creative director at Prophet. “In order to bring the new tourism destination …

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