Tag Archives: Dubai

The Retail Summit, an annual event for leaders providing unprecedented access to hear from global retail giants on the future and movement of the retail industry, announces its notable speaker lineup and agenda for 2023. The highly-anticipated two-day Summit remains the ultimate face-to-face, industry networking event, hosted at two iconic locations including Atlantis, The Palm and the soon-to-open Atlantis, The Royal on the 14 and 15 of March. Over the course of two days, the top echelon of both locally and internationally-renowned retailers will disperse into a two-stream agenda focusing on the critical issues within the global retailer’s boardrooms. The retail visionary speakers will include icon Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Ward, CEO of Harrods, Kristina Blahnik, CEO of Manolo Blahnik, Jo Malone, Founder of Jo Loves, Tom Athron, CEO of Fortnum & Mason, and Seth Ellison, EVP & Chief Commercial Officer of Levi Strauss & Co., to name a few. The third edition of the event will see these retail trailblazers on stage sharing their pioneering stories, paired with insight and innovative concepts through panel discussions dedicated to creating engaging, high-level learning experiences. Dishing details and debating matters of the retail industry, the speakers will focus on three agenda pillars of the event; sustainability, customer engagement and new technologies. Session spotlight topics include keynote presentations on “Cultivating Communities” led by Katrine Lee Larson, CEO of Copenhagen Cartel, “Company Culture” led by Rodney Lam, CEO of Daily Paper, and “Customer Centricity” led by Michael Kliger, CEO of Mytheresa. Panel discussions will open up the floor to conversations on “Customer Centricity” led by Marcella Wartenbergh, CEO of AWWG, “Sustainability” led by Livia Lee, CEO of lala Berlin; and also Victoria Prew, Founder & …

At the annual ‘city briefing’ His Excellency Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Inspired by our visionary leadership, 2022 has been a transformative year for developing and broadening Dubai’s global appeal, designed to keep the destination top-of-mind and to cater to the varied needs and tastes of international travellers. With the world on the move again, our ability to quickly react, adapt, evolve and tap into existing and new segments of travellers is key to Dubai’s efforts to leverage and benefit from a rapidly and radically evolving global tourism landscape. We have ensured a steady influx of international visitors by offering more value than any comparable destination. We will maintain our competitive edge through our strong public-private partnerships, expansion of the diverse destination offering and constant launching of innovative initiatives and international campaigns to showcase Dubai as a ‘must-visit’ destination, as well as cement its position as one of the most accessible and liveable cities in the world.” Data showed that Dubai welcomed 11.4 million international overnight visitors between January and October, an impressive year-on-year increase of 134%, taking the city further on its journey to becoming the world’s most visited destination. 11.4 million international overnight visitors who arrived in Dubai between January and October 2022 represented a quantum leap over the 4.88 million visitors that the city welcomed for the same period in 2021. The numbers are close to the pre-pandemic record of 13.50 million international visitors in the first ten months of 2019. Dubai’s international tourism arrivals significantly outperformed other major global destinations, giving Dubai a head start on post-pandemic recovery. Average hotel occupancy in Dubai between January-October 2022 stood at …

The special one-off concert will take place at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena on Friday 27 January 2023 and will feature two and a half hours of new and reimagined arrangements from the Oscar-winning composer’s stellar back catalogue, all spectacularly recreated on stage by Zimmer himself, together with a large orchestra and complemented by Hans Zimmer’s magnificent live band and dancers. Hans Zimmer Live is being brought to the United Arab Emirates by Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) as part of its Dubai Presents series and will be one of the closing shows of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), which runs across the city from December 2022 to 29 January 2023. Hans Zimmer commented: “I’m thrilled to bring Hans Zimmer Live to Dubai for the very first time. As one of the world’s most exciting and dynamic cities that’s home to over 200 nationalities, this is a great opportunity to speak to a multicultural global audience in the universal language of music. It seems fitting to bring our show to such an extraordinary city, and treat its people to an unforgettable evening of music and entertainment!” Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, commented: “Hans Zimmer is one of the all-time music greats and it’s an honour that Dubai will be the first place in the Middle East to host his renowned live show. Hosting this concert further reinforces Dubai’s position as a global events hub for award-winning international artists to perform and we will continue to work with our stakeholders to further enhance our event offerings in line with the vision of His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister …

Emirates has announced plans to add an additional daily direct flight between Dubai and Colombo, starting from 1 December 2022, to cater to the seasonal increase in the demand for travel. The additional service, operating as EK648/EK649, will increase the number of daily flights between the two cities to three, including two direct flights and one operating via the Maldivian capital, Male. Emirates’ second daily flight will operate direct between Dubai and Colombo, except during 16 to 30 December, when the service from Dubai to Colombo will stop over in Male. From 1 to 15 December and from 31 December to 26 March, EK648 will depart Dubai at 16:10hrs daily and arrive in Colombo at 21:55hrs, all times local. Flight EK648 will be routed via Male from 16th to 30th December, and will during that period, depart Dubai at 10.30hrs and arrive in Male at 14.45hrs. It will then depart from Male  at 17.15hrs and arrive in Colombo at 19.15hrs. Throughout the period from 1 December to 26 March, flight EK649 is scheduled to depart Colombo at 02:55hrs and arrive in Dubai at 05:55hrs. *All times are local. Emirates operates its modern Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in a three-class configuration on flights to Colombo, offering private suites in First Class, lie flat seats in Business Class and spacious seats in Economy Class.  Travellers to and from Sri Lanka benefit from Emirates’ award-winning service and industry-leading products in the air and on the ground across all classes, with regionally-inspired dishes and complimentary beverages and the airline’s ice inflight entertainment system which offers up to 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment in over 40 languages, including movies, TV shows, and an extensive musical library …

Air Canada is further expanding its service between Dubai and Toronto, with flights initially increasing from four to five times weekly from 31 October 2022. This expansion represents an additional 60% capacity, with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft replacing Boeing 787-9 aircraft on the route. The airline is set to further increase its Dubai to Toronto service from five to six times weekly from 8 January 2023 and then to daily from 26 March 2023. Air Canada flights from Dubai to Toronto are operated with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that can accommodate 400 passengers, with a choice of three classes of service: Air Canada Signature Class featuring lie-flat seats, Premium Economy and Economy Class. Seats are available for booking at aircanada.com, via the Air Canada App, Air Canada’s Contact Centres and travel agencies. “We are excited to announce this increase in our services between Dubai and Toronto,” said Deepu Cyriac, Air Canada, Country Manager UAE. “These additional frequencies will provide even more flight options for our customers in the UAE and the possibility to connect via our Toronto hub to 69 onward destinations across the Americas. We look forward to welcoming our customers on board.”   Dubai – Toronto Schedule   Flight From Departure To Arrival Frequency Dates of Operation   AC 057   Dubai   01:30   Toronto   07:20 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat Until January 7, 2023   AC 056   Toronto   21:25   Dubai   19:35 (+1) Mon, Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun Until January 7, 2023   AC 057   Dubai   01:30   Toronto   07:20 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun January 8 – March 25, 2023   AC 056   Toronto   21:25   Dubai …

Air India Express will be the only airline operating direct services between UAE and Vijayawada starting 31st Oct 22. Effective 31st Oct 22 Sharjah to Vijayawada will be operational twice a week on Monday and Saturday at 11:00hrs. Effective 01st Nov 22 Dubai to Kannur will also be operational four days a week on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday & Sunday at 18:40hrs Air India Express offers introductory fare of AED399 to Vijayawada and AED300 to Kannur with additional 5kgs Baggage Allowance. Flight Schedule will be as under: Flt No. Frequency Departure Airport Departure Time Arrival Airport Arrival Time IX976 Monday …. Saturday Sharjah 11:00 Vijayawada 16:25 IX975 Monday…..Saturday Vijayawada 18:35 Sharjah 21:30 IX748 Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday/Sunday Dubai 18:40 Kannur 23:50 Ix747 Monday/Wednesday/Friday/Sunday Kannur 0:50 Dubai 03:15 Air India express encourages all the expatriates to take advantage of the new flights and fly direct to their home. Air India Express would like to sincerely thank the Civil Aviation Authorities of Dubai and Sharjah for their support for these operations.

AVIAREPS successfully relaunched its in-person AVIAREPS Middle East Travel Caravan after a 2-year hiatus following the Covid pandemic. Over 110 key travel industry professionals, media and travel influencers attended the Dubai leg of the event which was held on October 11th, 2022 at the Shangri-la Dubai Hotel. The travel roadshow saw key international travel brands and destinations gather under the one roof to meet with the UAE’s and Saudi Arabia’s key outbound travel agencies and meeting and conferencing professionals, to meet one to one to develop new travel packages, itineraries and events tailored for UAE and Saudi Arabia-based travellers. A total of 27 key international partners joined the 2022 edition of the AVIAREPS Caravan including Qatar Tourism Board, The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Malta Tourism Authority, The Royal Commission for AlUla, Visit California, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority and a host of international hospitality brands, airlines and destination management companies. In addition to meeting leading travel agencies, partners also had the opportunity to meet with popular travel influencers from the region, as well as join an intimate panel discussion industry thought leaders, that included representatives from Emirates Holidays, ITL World and Al Rostamani Travel, where they were updated on the latest travel trends and consumer travel requirements from the region. Glenn Johnston, Vice President Middle East & Global Public Affairs, AVIAREPS commented: “As we head towards a post pandemic world outbound international travel from the Gulf Countries continues to demonstrate a remarkably strong and quick return compared to all other major travel regions around the globe. Within this context it is extremely important and timely to hold such an event. By bringing the UAE and Saudi Arabia’s travel professionals …

Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET) has launched the inaugural Dubai Gastronomy Industry Report, a comprehensive study of the city’s gastronomy scene, further reinforcing Dubai’s position as a much sought-after global destination for food tourism. The special report was unveiled at the first gastronomy industry briefing hosted by DET at the W Dubai  Mina Seyahi, and was attended by more than 100 restaurateurs, culinary specialists and key stakeholders from the food and beverage sector, to share seasonal highlights in relation to the ever-expanding gastronomy sector, and reveal industry insights from the city’s inaugural gastronomy report. The event was hosted as part of Dubai’s efforts to build upon the destination’s year-round programme of key foodie events, gourmet showcases and culinary platforms, to further strengthen the city’s dynamic ecosystem of around 13,000 restaurants and cafés. During the briefing, opportunities in the gastronomy sector and forthcoming calendar highlights were shared with partners to get their support to further enhance the city’s reputation as a year-round global gastronomy hub. Ahmed Al Khaja, CEO, Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) revealed key findings from the newly commissioned annual industry report during the event, showcasing the gastronomy activities and initiatives which continue to be a driving force behind the steady growth in both domestic and international tourists, in line with the visionary leadership’s goal to make Dubai the world’s best city in the world to live in, work and visit.  This insightful research has reaffirmed Dubai’s standing as an international hub for gastronomy, and a beacon for visionary restaurateurs, chefs, discerning foodies, epicurean travellers and culinary aficionados. The inaugural ‘Dubai Gastronomy Industry Report’ highlights that Dubai’s vibrant and stimulating food scene is a direct reflection …

Celebrating World Tourism Day, Issam Kazim, CEO, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, commented, shared about Dubai’s continued commitment to sustainable and accessible tourism. “With tourism being one of the key pillars of Dubai’s economy and central to the city’s DNA, World Tourism Day is a day of great importance to Dubai as it provides a time for reflection on Dubai’s remarkable turnaround and its pioneering role in providing a blueprint for the recovery of global tourism.  Inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the most visited and liveable city in the world, we can also look ahead to the new era of tourism development for Dubai, particularly the massive expansion of the tourism landscape, infrastructure and offering under the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, that lays the groundwork for Dubai’s sustainable development for the next two decades, further reinforcing its position as a global destination for business, investment and tourism. As we look to the future of travel, we will continue to collaborate and work alongside our valued city stakeholders and partners to rethink how we do tourism and to become more sustainable, accessible and responsible as we evolve our offering and remain at the forefront of the world’s widely recommended travel destinations.”

The Spain Tourism office in Abu Dhabi celebrated an event to celebrate the World Paella Day. The event was held in El Sur restaurant – The Westin Mina Seyahi , Dubai with trade partners from different sectors, including travel trade profesionals , influencers and media. The objective of this event was to promote and to share with the world the iconic Spanish dish, its different variations and its origin. For this reason, everyone was able to see the chef prepare and cook the different types of paellas (seafood, chicken, vegetarian & black paella ) while also sharing some insights about the history of this special dish. The menu also presented typical spanish starters (croquetas, cheese) and ended with some “churros”  . Invitees could also enjoy a traditional show of our typical Flamenco dance, which was one of the key moments of the evening. This year was quite special as this year was the first time a chef represented UAE at the Paella World Cup. This years’ edition has taken place from the 16 to 20 of September, gathering the best chefs  from all over the world in Valencia, Spain. Representing the United Arab Emirates-our candidate, Chef Piedade Fernandes along with Mariano from Sevilles . He was just 20 years old when he switched  from playing  football to cooking. Since then, he has been working for 22 years at the Seville’s Restaurant in Dubai, where he is in charge of the paella section, among other activities. Our representative was able to attain the final quarters elaborating a “classic paella”. Piedade was able to return with the 4th position for best paella chefs in the world. The World Paella Day aims to …