Tag Archives: UAE

Dubai has seen a surge of 41.4 per cent in overnight Chinese visitors from 2016 to 2017 combined with a number of key agreements signed with major players in China. Now one of Dubai’s fastest growing source markets, closing the first five months of 2018 with a record 400,547 visitors, this growth is predicted to continue in 2018. Speaking ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the UAE this week, HE Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai Tourism, said, “Our approach to engaging Chinese tourists is two-fold, with landmark partnerships, investments and marketing activities undertaken in 48 cities across China, partnered with a city-level China-readiness strategy in Dubai to enhance the experience of Chinese tourists. The introduction of visa-on-arrival for Chinese nationals in 2016, working in conjunction with the increase in air capacity by national carriers from China – currently standing at 30 flights a week, a 13% increase in non-stop seat capacity in 2017- has also contributed to rapid growth.” Earlier this year, Dubai Tourism signed an agreement with Huawei, one of China’s leading smartphone manufacturers, in January which pre-loads devices with both user-generated and official cinematographic content of Dubai.

The first Global Investment in Aviation Summit (GIAS), set to be held in Dubai, will host over 500 top aviation asset managers, aircraft lessors, investors, airlines, aircraft manufacturers, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities, aviation logistics suppliers and fixed-base operators (FBOs). The delegates from 40 countries will include 20 aviation ambassadors, 10 knowledge partners, 200 aviation officials and 300 investors brainstorming throughout the three days. The conference will take place as the UAE authorities are investing Dh85 billion ($23.16 billion) in airport development and expansion that will see its airports handle develop combined capacity to handle more than 300 million passengers per year. “Our airlines and airports have been ranking consistently as among the best internationally. On compliance level, UAE ranked as a top member state of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. GIAS is UAE’s testament of our commitment to push the nation to be a global pioneer in this field. The glass ceiling is not too high to break as we have mounted unimaginable innovations,” said HE Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director-General, UAE General Civil Aviation Authority.

Taking two new Airbus A320 aircraft deliveries, Air Arabia has brought its total operating fleet to 53. The latest Airbus A320 arrived on schedule from the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France, marking the completion of all deliveries this year. The new A320 aircraft have gone straight into service across the airline’s over 150 destination networks served from the main carrier hubs in the UAE, Morocco and Egypt. Air Arabia added 12 new routes from its hubs in the first half of 2018. The next delivery will be Air Arabia’s first A321neo LR to join the fleet early next year. Adding the A321 to the fleet will enable the low-cost carrier to extend its fleet reach and therefore, enter new markets as well as better serve existing high-density routes. Adel Al Ali, Group Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said, “The delivery of our last two aircraft for 2018 marks a significant step in the development of our fleet expansion strategy, especially as we added 12 new routes this year. We are proud to have created one of the industry’s most modern fleets through exceptional organic growth which helped us offer customers a wider range of destinations at great value.”

In a first, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) has organised a series of workshops, inviting hotels, tourism agencies and environmental organisations to review the progress of the Dubai Sustainable Tourism (DST) initiative. Its aim is to explore ways how sustainability standards can be further enhanced to support effective resource management across various hotel classifications, and to contribute effectively to raising professional awareness towards the environment, the economy, and the use of natural resources. These focus groups are a tangible demonstration of Dubai Tourism’s continuing commitment to work closely with its tourism and hospitality stakeholders to promote sustainable tourism and achieve the goals set out in the Tourism Vision 2020. Connecting 40 leading hotel operators, owners and representatives from hotel establishments, as well as environmental organisations, the event offered an interactive platform to discuss knowledge-sharing to discuss the feasibility and implementation of timelines for 19 new industry sustainability standards developed by DST. Yousuf Lootah, Executive Director, Tourism Development & Investments, Dubai Tourism, said, “Working 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 transform Dubai into a sustainable environmental destination, the credible and feasible sustainability standards and certification schemes are key tools in the transformation of our tourism industry, working in line with the city’s overall clean energy and sustainable development targets”.

Cebu Pacific (CEB) offers 25 kilograms of additional free baggage allowance to UAE residents travelling from Dubai to Manila. Starting March 1 until November 30, 2018, all passengers originating from Dubai travelling to Manila with pre-purchased baggage allowance of 40 kilograms will receive additional 25 kilograms baggage allowance, free-of-charge. The offer will be given upon check-in of the guest at the airport. A 40-kilogram baggage allowance on Cebu Pacific costs between AED 320 and AED 340. Passengers, even those with connecting flights to other Philippine domestic destinations operated by Cebu Pacific, will get the advantage of the additional 25 kilograms being carried over up to their next flight, as long as their flight itinerary is 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.

Smartotels Hospitality is set to open its flagship property, Form Hotel Dubai- a technology-driven upscale design concept hotel in the upcoming neighbourhood of Al Jadaf and Culture Village. Form Hotel Dubai presents a timelessly-designed environment built around brand obsessions and curated add-ons to deliver all that guests value. With a strong visual art and design narrative, and emphasis on wellbeing, Form Hotel Dubai is conceptualised as a sanctuary from the city, in the city, whilst being conveniently located near to major cultural and commercial hubs. The Dubai project has been delivered with the collaboration of Dubai Contracting Company and firm Architecture Studio. Tarek M. Daouk, Founder, Smartotels, comments, “We announced our intention to bring a technology-driven design hotel concept to the UAE precisely one year ago. Today, we’re delighted to be able to confirm that we will be delivering this landmark project to guests both on time and under budget. We believe Dubai’s maturing hotel market is now prepared to welcome a creative hotel offering like ours, and that it is the ideal time to deliver Form, a novel and design-focused boutique hotel aimed at forward-thinking travellers.”

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai has launched Marmoom Reserve Project, the first unfenced desert conservation reserve in the country. Spanning 10 per cent of Dubai’s total area, the reserve will introduce more than 20 environmental, cultural and sports-related initiatives, sponsored by nine Dubai’s government agencies. Enjoying over 40 hectares of shrubland and fertile area, the reserve is home to several species of native and migratory birds. The new project will include 10 animal and bird observation platforms, star and sunset observations decks, areas for yoga, an outdoor theatre that can host 350-person events, and will be powered by a 5,000 megawatt solar power complex. Al Maktoum said, “The Marmoom Reserve is an environmental, touristic and sporting addition to life in the UAE.” He continued, “The desert provides a peaceful shelter to plants, birds and people. Our goal is to provide a fertile and robust environment for plants, natural reserve for animals and an important destination for tourists.” His Highness concluded, “When nine government agencies work as a team, the result will be exceptional, as reflected in the Marmoom Reserve.”  

UAE-based business review directory and website, Qayyem Limited has launched a new website for consumers in Kuwait. Users in Kuwait can access kuwait.qayyem.com, while in the United Arab Emirates, consumers can visit www.qayyem.com. Qayyem aims to bring together the experiences of shoppers, diners, and travellers to help build a wealth of information that other users can access to inform their own buying decisions. The websites crowdsource reviews for business in all sectors including retail, travel, restaurants and more. Qayyem uses an AI spam detector as well as human review when necessary in order to ensure the legitimacy and accuracy of reviews. There are 130,000 business already registered in UAE and 10,000 businesses registered in Kuwait.

As the vacation season draws closer, Dubai International (DXB) is celebrating with an array of promotions and seasonal activities as it is set to welcome as many as 8 million passengers in December. Predicting the busiest travel days, the airport is encouraging those flying between December 15-23 to reach the airport with plenty of time to spare. This festive period will also offer passengers amazing discounts on activities, services, dining and quick bites through all terminals. Passengers can claim three free vouchers by searching for ‘EarlyBirdsDXB’ on Facebook Messenger and chatting directly with Santa. For those travelling from Terminal 3, the brand-new Winter Wonderland DXB is the perfect way to get in the festive spirit just moments before jumping on a plane. Staff levels will be augmented during peak periods and airport operational teams will use the latest sensor technology to constantly monitor passenger flows, allowing staff to be deployed quickly to avoid delays and long queues. UAE nationals can use the smart gates, enabling them to avoid queuing at passport control and travel through quickly and efficiently with their Emirates ID.

Al Zorah, a leisure destination in the UAE, expands its portfolio of sporting activities to offer water sports experiences. The destination will host several motorised and non-motorised sports including jet-skiing, wake boarding, flyboarding, kayaking, paddle boating, water skiing, kite-boarding and much more. Catering to all age groups and levels of ability, the new additions promises visitors an action-packed experience at Al Zorah. With friendly, safety-conscious instructors and equipment available on the peninsula, guests can take it at their own speed and wait for winds that suit them. Imad Dana, Chief Executive Officer, Al Zorah Development Company, said, “The introduction of the leisure and recreational activities at Al Zorah further reinforces our objective to offer a distinctive tourist and lifestyle destination. Water sport enthusiasts and families looking for an exciting vacation can escape the bustle of city life at Al Zorah.” The destination will soon host special events like Stand-Up Paddle Boating Championships, Best Underwater Photo Competition and Jet-skiing Acrobatic Displays.