The Dubai Association Centre (DAC), a joint initiative of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), in collaboration with the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) and Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), has announced the launch of the first-ever Dubai Association Conference which will be held 11-12 December 2017, at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event, a first of its kind in the region, reinforces the crucial role associations play in Dubai’s socio-economic development and its transition to a knowledge-based economy. The announcement was made at the prestigious Associations World Congress that is currently underway in Vienna, Austria. The Dubai Association Conference will welcome association executives from regional and international associations, government representatives, university faculties and students as well as other professionals with an interest in developing associations. The inaugural Conference, under the theme of ‘Building a Community’, is designed to cater to an increasing number of associations that are looking to expand within the Middle East, and the growing industries across disciplines from technology and healthcare to education and finance. It will also provide a platform to gain insights from international and regional experts on the latest trends in areas such as membership, online communities, restructuring education, volunteerism and governance, among others.

Emirates announced that all of its flights to Spain will be operated by the iconic A380. In addition to the existing double daily A380 service to Barcelona, the airline will operate a double daily A380 service to Madrid, significantly boosting seat capacity from Dubai to Spain. Commencing on September 1, 2017, Emirates flights EK143/144 will be operated by an Airbus A380 aircraft in a 3-class configuration with 14 Private Suites in First Class, 76 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 399 comfortable seats in Economy Class. Passengers in all classes will enjoy access to Wi-Fi and over 2,500 channels of films, TV shows, music and games, with an impressive selection in Spanish, through ice Digital Widescreen, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system. This change enables more A380 to A380 connections to and from key business and leisure destinations such as Australia, China, South Korea and South East Asia with just one stop in Dubai. The fliers will also experience the famed hospitality of the airline’s multi-cultural cabin crew, with Spanish speakers on all flights to and from Spain, as well as fine wines and regionally inspired cuisine prepared using the finest ingredients. What’s more, First and Business Class passengers can travel to and from the airport in style with Emirates complimentary Chauffeur-drive service as well as enjoy Emirates exclusive lounges at select airports around the world. Once on board, passengers in premium class seating receive a luxurious amenity kit featuring Italian-made Bulgari products and can enjoy the Emirates Onboard Lounge; First Class passengers can also take advantage of the Emirates Shower Spa to freshen up. Emirates’ flight EK143 departs from Dubai International Airport at 14:30hrs and arrives in Madrid at 20:20hrs. …

Filipino expats flying with Cebu Pacific to their job site do not need to pay Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal Fee, which is worth around AED 40.  The Philippines’ largest airline, Cebu Pacific (CEB), works hand-in-hand with the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) to exempt Filipino expats from paying the International Passenger Service Charge (IPSC), or the Terminal Fee, at the (NAIA). Passengers who booked through CEB’s ticketing offices or travel agencies have to present valid documents at the time of purchase. For bookings made through the Cebu Pacific Reservation Hotlines or via the website, valid documents must be presented at the Airport Bag Drop Counter upon check-in. Valid documents include the Overseas Employment Certificate (OEC); and those included under the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s Balik Manggagawa program such as a valid employment contract, recent pay slip, or Company ID. Bookings made through the Cebu Pacific mobile app and GetGo (points) redemption will allow exemptions soon. “After months of working with the MIAA on the details, Cebu Pacific is very proud to be the first carrier to make available such a benefit for our Filipino expats. We are pleased to offer our kababayans working abroad the convenience of not having to go through a process of reimbursement for fees they are already exempted from under the Migrant Workers Act,” said Atty. JR Mantaring, CEB Vice President for Corporate Affairs. Aside from Filipino expats, pilgrims with authorization from the Philippine Sports Commission, and guests who have been issued a MIAA exemption certificate (MEC) are also exempted from paying the IPSC, provided valid documents are presented. Recently, Cebu Pacific passengers have been given the option to pay for the travel on international …

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group announced that it will manage a second luxury hotel and branded residences in Dubai which is targeted to open in late 2020. The hotel, located in downtown Dubai, will complement Mandarin Oriental Jumeira Beach, Dubai, the group’s previously announced urban resort which is currently under construction on the beachfront and due to open in the fourth quarter of 2018. Both hotels are owned and developed by wasl Asset Management Group. The hotel will be the anchor of a 63-storey, mixed-use building, to be known as wasl Tower, located on Sheikh Zayed Road. The property will have direct access to the area’s business and leisure attractions, including Dubai Opera, Burj Park and Dubai Mall. The downtown Mandarin Oriental hotel will feature 257 spacious and contemporary guestrooms, suites and serviced apartments, which will be located on floors 16 to 38 of the tower, providing outstanding views over downtown Dubai and the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. The accommodation will be designed to reflect local culture, with features inspired by Mandarin Oriental’s Asian heritage. The Group will also manage 144 Residences at Mandarin Oriental, located on the tower’s upper floors, which will provide some of the most luxurious private homes in the city. The Residences will have their own private access, with dedicated facilities including a Resident’s Lounge, while also benefiting from Mandarin Oriental’s legendary service and direct access to the hotel.

Himalayan Airlines’ inaugural flight from the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu landed at Dubai World Central (DWC), Dubai’s second airport. The airline will operate three weekly flights from Tribhuvan International Airport to DWC, using an Airbus A320-214 aircraft with 150 economy class seats and eight business class seats. Himalayan Airlines’ arrival at DWC increases the number of passenger carriers serving the airport to 19 and the average number of weekly flights to 106.

Gloria Hotel Dubai has introduced online check-in facilities and several other tablet delivered services. Guests at Gloria hotels can now check in online prior to the arrival via the links they receive in the booking confirmation email and it will also be available in the Gloria Mobile App which will be launched this month (May). The guests can arrive at the hotel and simply collect their room key from a priority check in desk exclusively reserved for online check- ins similar to that in airlines. The new mobile App to be launched have used technology to push the business boundaries to ensure innovation and efficiency across the hotel and meeting the evolving needs of the guests.  This will further enable the guests the ability to make choices and instantly book available rooms at great prices to ease the booking process and further boost reservations. Area Manager Freddy Farid stated, “we are hoping to showcase Gloria hotels and Resorts in a multitude of different ways and lead the different markets to experience comfort living – a Gloria concept of stay in all properties. The use of digital marketing to expand our brand communication and it has become an effective tool over time. Today’s travellers are constantly connected but they have time constraints. They want information instantly and they value services that save time, we have introduced a number of ways that allow our guests to use smart devices to speed up the decision making and booking process as well as cutting down on administrative tasks related to registration and payments thus ensuring their overall experience.”  

Emirates will provide an all-A380 service from Melbourne when it upgrades its third daily flight from the Australian city, EK408 and EK409, from a Boeing 777-300ER to an A380 operation. The move will add 945 seats per week to the Australian city from March 25, 2018, representing a 10 per cent increase in capacity. Emirates customers can enjoy a seamless “A380 to A380” connections via its hub in Dubai to 18 points in the UK and Europe. The additional weekly seats on the route will support more business and leisure travel between Dubai and Melbourne and together with Qantas’ new Melbourne, via Perth, London B789 Dreamliner service beginning on the 24th March 2018, offers customers more options to London and Europe under the joint partnership. The popular Emirates A380 offers 489 seats in a three-class cabin configuration with 14 private suites in First Class, 76 flat-bed seats in Business Class and 399 spacious seats in Economy. Passengers in all classes can enjoy over 2,500 channels of the latest films, TV shows, music, and games on Emirates’ ice Digital Widescreen, which has been named World’s Best Inflight Entertainment at the prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards for a record 12 years running. First and Business Class passengers on the Emirates A380 can spend time during their flight socialising in the iconic Onboard Lounge on the upper deck of the aircraft, and First Class passengers can enjoy the exclusive use of the on-board shower spas to refresh during flights. Premium customers are also offered complimentary chauffeur drive to and from Melbourne airport, lounge access and priority check-in.

Passenger traffic at the world’s number one airport for international passenger numbers, Dubai International (DXB), climbed 7.4 per cent during the first quarter of 2017 to 22,496,596 compared to 20,948,690 recorded during the same period last year, according to traffic results released by Dubai Airports.  The year to date totals follow March results which saw a 3.8 per cent increase in passenger numbers to 7,511,431 compared to 7,237,509 reported in March 2016. The more modest growth rate in March was due to the timing of the Easter holiday which fell during March in 2016 and during April in 2017. The number of passenger flights in March grew 1.0 percent to 34,634 compared to 34,303 last year while year-to-date flight numbers were up 0.5 percent to 100,638 compared to 100,116 recorded during the first quarter of 2016. The average number of passengers per flight in the first three months of the year was 224, compared to 209 during the corresponding period in 2016, an increase of 6.8 per cent. During the first three months of the year, Eastern Europe was the fastest expanding market in terms of percentage growth (33.3 per cent) as the appreciation of the ruble against the US dollar over the past year has increased spending power in Dubai and spiked demand in the Russian market. Asia was the next fastest growing market (22.6 per cent) which benefited from additional capacity provided by Emirates and flydubai in markets such as Thailand, China and the Philippines, followed by South America (22.2 percent). Conversely, the impact of travel bans and electronic device restrictions is starting to be felt on North American traffic figures, which were down 4.3 per cent during …

Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) announced the launch of a new brand of hotels – Sharjah Collection – at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2017. The announcement was part of Shurooq’s participation at the 24th edition of ATM 2017, which concluded on 27 April (Thursday) at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). The focus of Sharjah Collection with its luxurious lodge and B&B-style properties, coming up in Sharjah’s ecotourism and heritage sights being developed by Shurooq, will be to offer its guests unique and distinguished living experiences accented with an authentic taste of Arabian hospitality and rich in Emirati culture. In its first phase of development, Sharjah Collection unveiled its first three properties. Nestled within the Kalba eco-tourism project will be Kingfisher Lodge – a collection of tented lodge-style accommodations surrounded by mangroves and diverse ecological zones, allowing guests to live in an environment-friendly way. Their next development, Al Badayer Lodge, will be developed against the backdrop of a prominent natural feature of the Arabian Peninsula – its sweeping deserts of Al Badayer Oasis in Sharjah. The property will be developed to cater to the tastes of adventure lovers, where guests will enjoy urban amenities amid authentic Bedouin surroundings. The final property in the first phase, Bait Khalid Bin Ibrahim, will comprise two four-star B&B villas in Heart of Sharjah, the region’s largest historical preservation and restoration project. Converted from old Emirati homes that belonged old heritage settlements, the B&B aims to provide visitors from around the world unique insights into traditional UAE living. “The launch of Sharjah Collection is in line with Shurooq’s strategic approach to elevate the standards of Sharjah’s hospitality sector. We are working towards building …

Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism), announced the launch of “Dubai Expert,” an online educational game that has been created exclusively for travel agents. The announcement was made to travel professionals attending this year’s Arabian Travel Market in Dubai. Created in collaboration with the Dubai College of Tourism (DCT) and KTM Advance, a specialist in e-learning, the learning tool is a marked departure from traditional training programmes. It features an engaging interface that includes information on Dubai’s tourism attractions in an easily-digestible format that will enable agents to promote the Emirate as the ideal holiday destination to their customers from around the world. Speaking at ATM 2017, Issam Kazim, CEO of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DCTCM), said: “Our partnerships with travel agents are critical to us as we look to expand our influence and reach across industry channels and stakeholders that influence tourists looking to visit Dubai. This also means that we need to keep developing new tools that allow us and our partners to highlight what makes Dubai a ‘must-visit’ destination. With the ‘Dubai Expert’ platform, we have used technology innovation to transcend typical training programmes and create an experience that enhances their knowledge of Dubai, so they can build customised itineraries that will attract more visitors. ‘Dubai Expert’ has been created to facilitate this process and is part of our continued endeavour to achieve our strategic goal of welcoming 20 million visitors by 2020.” ‘Dubai Expert’ operates as a turn-based card game, where participants will need to select the best cards – each with an attraction in the city – from an automatically generated deck, to create an ideal itinerary for a …