Tag Archives: Dubai

Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces held a multi-city Sales Mission in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, signifying the company’s interest in expansion in the region. The events were hosted in Dubai, Riyadh, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi. The first leg of the Sales Mission kick started with an evening of networking at the Opera Ballroom at Taj Dubai on September 25th 2016. Hosted by Chinmai Sharma, Chief Revenue Officer, Taj Hotels, Resorts and Palaces, the elegant dinner event had Senior Management from various Taj properties around the globe, key media and select travel partners in attendance. Speaking at the event, Chinmai expressed the group’s interest in growing their footprint in the region with two hotels already in the pipeline. This includes a 207 – key hotel located at Jumeirah Lake Towers in Dubai and a 325 – key Resort and Spa located on The Palm, Dubai. Taj Dubai is the iconic group’s first luxury property in the Middle East. Taj Dubai’s 296 rooms are a mix of rich Indian artistry and traditional influences, suffused with a cool, vibrant twist. An intoxicating fusion of extravagance, heritage and contemporary style, Taj Dubai occupies a prime location, a mere five minutes from the famed Downtown area with Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall and just 15 km away from Dubai International Airport, making this one of the most coveted locations for business travellers and tourists alike.

Qatar Airways has announced the addition of special weekend getaway flights, to make quick weekend trips easier for people of Doha and Dubai. These new flights are effective from October 3, 2016. The flights are timed to make the most of the weekend, with a Thursday afternoon departure from Doha at 15:50, arriving Dubai International Airport at 18:00 local time, and the Dubai flight leaving at 19:00, arriving in Doha at 19:10 local time. For the Saturday return, weekend revelers can depart Doha at 14:50 and arrive in Dubai at 17:00, or leave Dubai at 18:00 and arrive in Doha at 18:10. These special weekend flights are in addition to Qatar Airways’ 19 other daily flights serving Dubai International Airport and Dubai World Central. Qatar Airways currently offers 15 daily flights to Dubai International Airport, and four daily flights to Dubai World Central.

Dubai Business Events, the city’s official convention bureau, is delivering one of its strongest year-to-date, with 86 new international business events secured in 2016. The bureau has secured 15 percent more events in the first eight months of this year than the whole of 2015, and is poised to capitalise on increasing demand from international meetings, conferences, and incentives organisers, according to internal auditing at the city’s official convention bureau. The events secured this year will be held over the course of the next four years and combined, will bring 65,000 delegates to Dubai from around the world, as speakers, panellists, exhibitors and visitors. And with each delegate expected to add almost AED 6,000 to the economy, the impact of these events could be as much as AED344 million. Issam Kazim, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: “Dubai’s growing appeal as a premier destination for international business events is a testament to the vision and leadership of the government and the positive response that we have seen as we have shared the emirate’s remarkable story with a global audience.”

There are 541 new hotels in the pipeline across the Middle East – bringing an additional 158,950 hotel rooms to the region, an industry report has revealed. The Middle East Hotel Construction Overview report prepared by TOPHOTELPROJECTS exclusively for The Hotel Show Dubai 2016 forecasts that the majority of new hotel rooms will open before 2020. The UAE (180 projects) and Saudi Arabia (134 projects) remain the most active hotel construction hotspots in the region. The busiest year for hotel openings leading up to 2020 is forecast to be 2017 with 189 projects and 58,527 rooms. Notable hotel openings scheduled for 2017 include: the world’s largest hotel in Makkah, Saudi Arabia with 10,000 rooms, and the world’s first Paramount Hotels & Resorts property; the Paramount Hotel in Dubai.

The much awaited Hotel Show will be held from September 17-19, 2016 at Dubai World Trade Center. With a surge in technological innovations designed specifically for the hospitality industry, The Hotel Show Dubai 2016 is set to debut a dedicated new feature when it opens this week. Tech start-ups and major global brands will launch innovative new products in the ‘Tec-Innovation Zone’, to feature alongside The Hotel Show’s extended list of exhibitors and TecSec Summit conference. Combined, the Technology and Security Pavilion now takes up almost a quarter (22%) of the event’s 17th edition. LG will be unveiling the world’s first OLED Hotel TV to the Middle East market for the first time at the Tec-Innovation Zone alongside a Pro:Centric Direct hotel content management system which provides solutions such as 1-click service and IP-network-based remote management. Alongside the Tec-Innovation Zone, more than 75 technology and security suppliers will showcase extended ranges of the latest products and services of interest to the region’s hospitality industry including: Bang & Olufsen; GREENTEC Automation DMCC; ASSA ABLOY Hospitality; SALTO Systems; dorma+kaba, and INTEREL. INTEREL has the largest stand planned for the 2016 Technology and Security Pavilion. It is set to showcase its online Water Management System, awarded ‘Most Innovative Hospitality Technology of 2016’ at the Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) TechOvation awards.

In keeping with Dubai’s retail tourism strategy; India’s leading design house Ritu Kumar will be opening her second store at the Dubai festival city mall. The outlet will cater to a mix of luxury and high-street fashion clientele with the latest collections of LABEL Ritu Kumar. It is the brand’s second outlet in the emirate having begun operations in the UAE with a flagship store at BurJuman Centre in January, 2014. Spread over 1600 sq ft in Dubai Festival City mall with a spectacular triple height shop-front the new store will showcase the SS’16 and the AW’16 collection from the brands’ pret line – LABEL Ritu Kumar. Ritu Kumar is credited for introducing haute couture in India as well as the revival of the country’s traditional fabrics and crafts over the last 45 years. The celebrated fashion designer will be in Dubai for the official inauguration of the store at Dubai Festival City mall on September 20, 2016.  

Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has launched Jumeirah Central, an urban mixed-use city district expected to become a comprehensive model for future urban planning in Dubai and around the world. The all-season city district will comprise 9 million sq ft of retail space including three malls, 4.5 sqft of outdoor shopping space and supported by more than 44,000 car parking spaces. A unique tourism destination, Jumeriah Central will offer 7,200 hotel rooms; the largest number of hotel rooms centred in one district. The district will be home to 35,000 residents and will host 100,000 people annually. It will be connected by a comprehensive cycling network that spans over 33 parks and open spaces. Commenting on the announcement, H.H. Al Maktoum said: “As our vision for future cities evolves, Dubai will continue to set the benchmark for city development across the globe. Jumeriah Central is a clear milestone in our journey towards building the city of the future and the creation of engaged and happy communities. We will not stop investing in our economy, and these projects are tools to expedite that journey of growth. We are confident in the strength of our economy and are optimistic for the future of our nation. To that end, our vision will continuously evolve and expand.” The Jumeirah Central masterplan is a product of the collaborative work of over 19 government and private agencies, international experts and consultants under the leadership of Dubai Holding over the last two years. Jumeirah Central will have smart world-leading infrastructure that includes a multi-modal transport network, environmentally-friendly transport options and aerial gondolas. The district, …

SriLankan Airlines, the national carrier of Sri Lanka, has appointed Sharaf Travel as their GSA for Dubai and moved their commercial and business activities to 2nd floor, Sharaf Building, adjacent to Burjuman Metro Station, Bur Dubai, recently.  On the eve of new office opening, following dignitaries graced the occasion: Charitha Yattogoda, Consul General for Sri Lanka in Dubai, Ibrahim Sharaf, Chairman and President Sharaf Group, Siva Ramachandran, Chief Commercial Officer SriLankan Airlines,  V. Jayaram, Managing Director Sharaf Travels, Veersen Tamhane, Managing Director Sharaf Cargo (GSA – SriLankan Airlines Cargo UAE) and Desiree Premachandra, Country Manager UAE, SriLankan Airlines. Part of the Sharaf Group conglomerate, Sharaf Travel is one of the leading TMCs of the region. For over two decades, the General Sales Agency division has established and nurtured long and enduring partnerships with 21 leading airlines from all over the world; representing all of them in the UAE, some in Oman, and a few in other GCC countries. An ISO compliant company with certifications in ISO 9001-2008 Quality Management, ISO 14001-2004 Environmental Management, and OHSAS 18001/2007 Health and Safety, Sharaf Travel has played an integral role in driving Sales and Marketing strategies for its principal partners across multiple channels, robust business continuity plans to ensure regular revenue streams, and contribute towards their overall profitability. SriLankan Airlines, commenced flights to Dubai 35 years ago, which is almost from the time of its inception in 1979 and known then as Air Lanka, and still continues today operating a direct daily flight to the emirate of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, deploying a combination of its Airbus 330, A320 and A321 aircraft.

Dubai Parks and Resorts, scheduled to open Oct 31, has announced an annual Pass with exclusive invites to the park.The pass will be available during Eid with validity until December 31, 2017. Annual Passes start at 865AED and are on sale now at www.motiongatedubai.com or www.dubaiparksandresorts.com.

Dubai will be looking at promoting honeymooners to the destination with the latest project of heart shaped islands to be developed within the next four years. The Heart of Europe in Dubai is made up of six islands consisting European ; Germany, Sweden, Main Europe, St Petersburg, Switzerland and Monaco.The islands span six million square feet and will be able to accommodate up to 15,000 people at any one time. All six islands will be connected via bridges and will be accessible by boat, seaplane and helicopter.There will be no cars permitted on the islands to create the perfect island experience.Phase one of The Heart of Europe will be completed by the end of 2016 and the rest of the project in stages during 2017, 2018 and 2019. More details of this project to be available soon.