Tag Archives: Riyadh

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed up with Dur Hospitality for a franchise agreement of Crowne Plaza Riyadh Palace, under the master franchise agreement signed earlier for four hotels. Currently operating as Riyadh Palace Hotel, the property is expected to be rebranded to Crowne Plaza by June 2018. The hotel totals to 304 rooms, over 1400 sqm of meeting space, a business centre along with an outdoor pool, lounge and a spa. It offers a range of authentic and contemporary cuisine at the hotel’s restaurant and at the Lobby Café. Ahdab, President, Hotel Operations—Dur Hospitality said, “We are delighted to partner with IHG yet again, for their world-class brand Crowne Plaza, making this our second hotel with them, following the opening of Holiday Inn, Tabuk. Riyadh has solidified itself as a commercial hub, attracting business travellers from domestic and international markets.” “Incorporating an element of French design, the hotel is strategically located in the Ministries Area, a popular business district, making it an ideal and convenient location for the business community”, he further added.

SaudiGulf Airlines will launch its maiden international operations to Dubai as a double daily flight catering to the corporate and leisure travellers between the two nations from March 1, 2018. The flight will departure Riyadh at 07:50 and arrive Dubai at 10:55, and commence departure from Dubai at 12:10 with arrival at 13:05 in Riyadh. The other flight timings will be 16:00 departing Riyadh and reaching Dubai by 18:55, and departing Dubai at 20:55 and reaching Riyadh by 21:50 with a starting all inclusive fare of AED 999. It will be a two configuration A320 with 16 Business First class seats and 120 seats in economy, an in-flight entertainment system, Wi-Fi service onboard along with a dedicated chauffeur service in Riyadh. Samer Majali, President and Chief Executive Officer, SaudiGulf Airlines stated that after just one year and two months of domestic operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, they found the niche in Dubai in the international market to serve a destination with the most amount of traffic. This strategic decision was taken by SaudiGulf Airlines considering the strong affairs between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, supported by Dubai Tourism to provide greater varieties to travellers from both countries.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has announced the opening of Crowne Plaza Riyadh–RDC Hotel and Convention Center. The newly opened hotel will be the seventh IHG hotel in Riyadh and the 31st in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The 326-room hotel is strategically located in the Al Ra’idah Digital City (RDC), a mixed use district expected to accommodate over 20,000 employees and up to 10,000 residents. Crowne Plaza Riyadh–RDC Hotel is in close proximity to the new financial district, the Riyadh CBD, King Saud University, Diplomatic Quarter and lies within 25 minutes of King Khalid International Airport, making it an ideal choice for business travellers. The hotel also offers a comprehensive range of facilities to meet the needs of corporate and MICE guests travelling to and within the Kingdom. The hotel features over 12000 m2 of exhibition and conference space including a three-level circular conference centre, a ballroom, large pre-function areas and 12 meeting rooms equipped with modern digital technology. Guests can enjoy the hotel’s large outdoor swimming pool or re-energise with a game of tennis at the outdoor court. An on-site business centre is equipped with the latest technology to keep guests connected to their business and their families back home.

Saudi Arabia’s new low-fare airline flyadeal has received a welcome market response since the start of services, with load factors reaching more than 82 per cent. flyadeal currently operates on three routes from Jeddah to Riyadh, Dammam and Qassim. Having commenced operations on September 23, Jeddah-Riyadh was the first city pair, beginning as a double-daily service, quickly growing to five-times-daily. Dammam and Qassim began this month, with Jeddah-Dammam increasing to double daily later this month. flyadeal currently has a fleet of three aircraft, with an additional five to be delivered. All are brand new A320 aircraft in a single-class configuration of 186 seats. Con Korfiatis, CEO, flyadeal, said, “flyadeal has received a very warm welcome from our passengers so far and we are grateful for their support. We look forward to continue serving our loyal guests as we move into the next phase of expansion in the coming months.”

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.”  

Cebu Pacific Air will soon suspend its service to and from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Doha, Qatar. CEB will fly the last of its four-times-a-week service from Manila to Kuwait on June 13, 2017, and its Kuwait-Manila flight on June 14, 2017. The thrice-weekly Manila-Doha-Manila route will have its last flight on July 1, 2017; while CEB’s last flight from Manila to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will depart on July 2, 2017, while the Riyadh-Manila flight will leave on July 3, 2017. CEB will retain its other long-haul services to and from Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Sydney, Australia, with a view to increasing frequencies to these destinations in the future. The airline also flies to 24 other international destinations across Asia and USA; as well as 37 domestic destinations. Passengers affected by the suspension of CEB service in Doha, Riyadh and Kuwait are being contacted. Options are being provided to minimize the disruption, which include rebooking passengers on flights with other airlines or on earlier travel dates with CEB; a full refund; or placing the full value of the ticket in a travel fund for future use.

Riyadh Travel Fair’s (RTF) 2017 edition drew to a close for the ninth consecutive year, at Prince Sultan Grand Hall, Al Faisaliah Hotel, Riyadh. The 2017 edition is the largest on record with an increase in both the number of exhibitors and visitor arrivals. 270 exhibitors were present representing 55 countries. Over 50 national and regional pavilions had a prominent presence with the show floor space as it increased by 10 per cent compared to the 2016 event. The fair was inaugurated by His Excellency Majid A. Al-Hokair, Chairman of the Committee for Tourism and Entertainment Riyadh Chamber and Chairman of Board Directors for Riyadh International Conference and Exhibition Center. The four day event became the focus of business networking opportunities, insightful seminar sessions, ministerial discussions and the recognition of 12 months of the tourism industry’s achievements. Bander’ Algryni, General Manager, ASAS Exhibitions, said: “The 2017 edition is the largest Riyadh Travel Fair to date thereby extending our prominence as the leading travel and tourism exhibition in the kingdom. More than 250 exhibitors from Tourism Boards, airlines, tour operators and hotels from more than 50 countries are present in the exhibition. “It’s been a year of growth not only for the tourism and hospitality industry in the Kingdom, but for RTF; and with Saudi nationals increasingly travelling overseas at a greater number year on year, the opportunities that the RTF provides for domestic and overseas destinations, hospitality service providers and other tourism related businesses, to directly meet with the kingdom’s leading travel professionals and travellers has never been more significant.” The Riyadh Travel Fair was open to both travel professionals and the general public looking for in-depth destination information and …

Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority (RAKTDA), which develops the emirate’s tourism infrastructure and initiates its domestic and overseas promotions, has expanded its presence in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the opening of a new representation office in the country’s capital, Riyadh. Marking its sixth international representation office, the Riyadh opening will support the tourism body’s promotional activities and trade partnerships to penetrate the Kingdom’s high potential outbound market. A team of dedicated trade promotion, MICE and business development staff will manage various in-market promotions and initiatives to drive further awareness of Ras Al Khaimah as a multi-faceted business and leisure destination to Saudi travellers. The move comes as Saudi Arabia produces more hotel guests to the emirate than ever before. According to recent RAKTDA data, tourist arrivals from Saudi Arabia increased by 71.28 per cent year-to-date, with further growth expected during the course of 2017. Commenting on the new office opening, RAKTDA CEO Haitham Mattar said: “This market on our door-step is extremely important to us. The UAE has long been a favourite destination for Saudi tourists and our new our new representative office will further cement our promotional presence in the Kingdom. Through this representation we will build upon current travel trade partnerships, explore further opportunities and continually position Ras Al Khaimah as a year-round destination through targeted campaigns.” RAKTDA’s policy of positioning the emirate as more than a sun, sea and sand destination, driven by the implementation of the Destination Ras Al Khaimah 2019 strategy, has resulted in attracting 820,772 visitors in 2016, placing it in a strong position to achieve its target of one million visitors by the end of 2018.

Starting February 13 to March 15, 2017, all passengers originating from Doha, Dubai, Kuwait and Riyadh travelling to Manila with pre-purchased baggage allowance of 40 kilograms will be receiving additional 25 kilograms baggage allowance, free-of-charge on the Philippine carrier, Cebu Pacific. The extra baggage allowance will be given upon check-in of the guest at the airport. For those guests with connecting flights to other domestic destinations, the additional 25kg will be carried over up to their next flight, given that their flight itineraries were booked under one reference number only. This promotion is not valid on return flights from the Philippines to the Middle East and on bookings with Cebgo connecting flights. “With the launch of this special promotion, CEB opens up more opportunities for its travelers across the Middle East region, most especially the Filipinos, to maximize their trip to the Philippines by allowing them to bring more items for their families and friends back home. Not only is CEB able to continuously make travel accessible and affordable to everyone through our  trademark low fares, but now providing another avenue for them to get the best out of their travel,” Atty. JR Mantaring, CEB Vice President for Corporate Affairs. CEB currently offers flights to a total of 37 domestic and 29 international destinations, operating an extensive network across Asia, Australia, USA, and the Middle East. Its 58-strong fleet is comprised of four Airbus A319, 36 Airbus A320, seven Airbus A330, eight ATR 72-500, and three ATR 72-600 aircraft. Between 2017 and 2021, CEB expects delivery of one more brand-new Airbus A330, 32 Airbus A321neo, and 13 ATR 72-600 aircraft.

GTA has kicked off its 2017 roadshow in the Middle East region. The first stop took place in Riyadh at the Marriott Hotel on the February 6, 2017, where over 180 key travel professionals and hotel representatives attended the event. The second stop on Wednesday, February 8, at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai. The event connects travel agents and key shop bookers with leading suppliers and hoteliers from across Asia Pacific, Africa & Turkey. The aim is to increase product knowledge and awareness and ultimately to grow outbound traffic from the Middle East markets to these destinations by building new distribution channels and stimulating specific customer segments. Over 60 hotel partners, representing groups, chains and unique individual brands show cased their products. These included ACCOR Hotels (Platinum Sponsor), Regal Hotels Group (Gold Sponsor), Hilton Hotels & Resorts, InterContinental Hotels Group, Anantara Hotels & Resorts, Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts and many others. “By organizing this roadshow, we enable our travel associates to connect with our leading hotel partners from across Asia Pacific, Africa & Turkey, allowing them to understand their key offerings, powering global travel while focusing on the most-loved destinations where we see a growing demand from the GCC region. We also support business growth with expert advice and insights on the latest travel trends”, said Rami Mashini, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Middle East, Africa, Turkey & India at GTA. Today 35% of GTA Middle East business is going into Asia Pacific, Africa and Turkey destinations, the ambition is to keep growing with double-digit increase year-on-year. The Middle East Roadshow 2017 welcomed hotel partners from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, …