Tag Archives: MENA region

It was an evening of celebration at the Westin Mina Seyahi Hotel and Marina when the third edition of the Arabian Travel Awards concluded last night with over 60 awards of recognition for stalwarts in the industry of travel, tourism, hospitality, visa services etc. Mr. Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer, Chief Operating Officer, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), graced the occasion as Chief Guest, with Gladrags Mrs. India Anita Mishra as a special Guest of Honour. In the opening speech, Managing Director and Convener for Arabian Travel Awards, SanJeet, stated that this year there were nearly 200,000 entries submitted which were then shortlisted. He continued, “I would just like to thank all your efforts, it is thanks to you that tourism is responsible for 10 per cent of the world’s GDP, responsible for one in five jobs in the future and within the region, again thanks to your efforts, tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors responsible for nearly 25 per cent of jobs. The MENA region welcomed 87 million international tourists last year which marked a 10 per cent growth from 2017. Congratulations to all of you for being part of such a growing, innovative and successful industry. The Arabian Travel Awards have been convened to recognise this excellence, hard-work and success. Today tourism is synonymous with progress, development and opportunity.” Mr. Ahmed Obaid Al Qaseer stated the many efforts taken by Shurooq with an investment of AED 130 mn towards developing the emirate into a luxurious eco-tourism destination. He further reiterated the many projects in line to ensure that the rich heritage, culture and archaeological tourism is further enhanced in the emirate.    

Leading UAE-based technology and sustainability-driven facilities management (FM) company Farnek is celebrating a decade of achievement with international sustainability certification body Green Globe. “With Farnek’s support, the process of Green Globe certification, has enabled members to save over 180 million kWh of energy, worth over $20 million and nearly two million cubic metres of water which would have cost almost $5 million dollars over the last 10 years,” said Sandrine Le Biavant, Director – Consultancy, at Farnek. “A facility can save energy and water consumption by between 5 per cent and 20 per cent and subsequently make significant savings on utility costs, according to Farnek’s Hotel Optimizer benchmarking data — thanks to the guidelines and precise no cost, or low-cost recommendations provided. Potentially an average sized, five-star city hotel can save as much as $100,000 per year and in addition, waste recycling can also achieve up to 51% diversion, generating additional income from waste rebates,” added Le Biavant. Having signed their original partnership agreement in 2009, over the past decade Farnek, working together with Green Globe, has audited and certified 100 hotels and leisure facilities from 24 different hotel chains throughout the MENA region in 38 cities across 14 countries. Farnek has also coached over 2,900 hotel heads of departments about the process of certification, the wider environment and cost benefits of sustainability. As such 85,000 members of hotel staff, responsible for servicing approximately 28,000 rooms, will have received direct training. “To motivate compliance to the highest international standards, Farnek’s role as an independent consultant and auditor over the past decade has been of paramount importance,” commented Guido Bauer, CEO, Green Globe.