Sharjah International Airport has recorded its first million-passenger month, handling 1,041,870 inbound, outbound, transfer and transit passengers during the month of August, a 12 per cent increase on the 928,897 passengers handled during August 2015, according to the airport’s latest statistics. Sharjah airport surpassed 10 million passengers per annum for the first time during 2015, registering an annual passenger growth rate of 5.5 percent compared with 2014. Meanwhile, the airport has had a healthy average monthly passenger growth rate of 12 percent during 2016, compared with last year’s passenger numbers. Overall, 7,349,333 passengers were handled by Sharjah International Airport during the first eight months of 2016. In another first, 7,001 aircraft movements were recorded during August, 10.5 percent more aircraft movements than during the same month in 2015. (Source Shurooq)

Etihad Airways will deploy its Boeing 787 Dreamliner on one of its twice-daily scheduled flights between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, with effect from October 30, 2016. Flight EY317 will be operated with a B787, departing Abu Dhabi at 10:15 hrs, arriving into Riyadh at 11:15 hrs. The return flight EY318 departs Riyadh at 16:25 hrs, arriving into Abu Dhabi at 19:10 hrs. The flights will provide optimal timings for guests in Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, and convenient connections to and from destinations across key markets in Europe, Indian subcontinent, Asia and Australia. The 299-seat aircraft, configured in two classes, with 28 seats in Business and 271 in Economy. The upgrade from a single aisle Airbus A321 aircraft will cater to strong demand to and from the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, offering guests more seats on a wide-body aircraft. Together with the other daily Riyadh service operated by a Boeing 777, Etihad Airways will have more than 8,700 weekly seats on the route.

A delegation from the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the ‘Seatrade Cruise Med’ held between September 21-23, in Tenerife, Spain, with an aim of further promoting the Kingdom as a tourism destination. The delegation included Yousif Al Khan, Director of Tourism Marketing and Promotions at the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority and Amal Jamal from the Economic Development Board (EDB). The Bahraini representative’s participation in the event came as a part of a comprehensive team representing the Gulf region under the name of ‘Cruise Arabia’. “The main aim behind our participation in the Seatrade Cruise Med is to promote the Kingdom as a destination for cruises in order to increase the number of inbound tourists and further develop the industry and overall national economy,” said Khan. Further commenting on the participation, Executive Director Marketing and Communications at the EDB, Vivian Jamal said, “Last year, 40,000 tourists visited Bahrain through cruise ships. The Seatrade Cruise Med is one of the most important global cruise events and is the right platform to promote Bahrain as a destination among exhibitors from all around the globe.” The participation is in line’s the Kingdom’s tourism strategy launched earlier this year under the brand, ‘Ours. Yours’. The strategy, launched by the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority in cooperation with the EDB, focuses on four pillars; awareness, attraction, access and accommodation. A key integral component of the strategy is to develop the sea ports in the Kingdom in order to further attract yachts and cruise ships.

Qatar Airways and British Airways’ parent company, International Airlines Group (IAG), have announced a joint business agreement that will come into effect on October 30, 2016. The joint business will see the two airlines code-sharing on all non-stop flights between the UK and Doha, to offer customers a combined route network that will serve more than 70 destinations. Between the airlines’ hubs of London and Doha the new partnership will offer seven daily non-stop services in both directions. The will benefit customers by offering a wider choice of flights, an enhanced network, greater choice of fares and superior benefits for members of their frequent flyer programmes. This partnership will allow the carriers to provide passengers with better links and an even more seamless travel experience between the UK, Asia, Middle East and Africa.  

Marriott International has completed its acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, creating the world’s largest and best hotel company. Marriott Rewards – which includes the Ritz-Carlton Rewards – and SPG are the most recognized and awarded loyalty programs in hospitality. In the MEA region, their newly combined portfolio consists 238 hotels, 51,877 rooms, in 30 countries. They have effectively doubled in size overnight (from 25k rooms to almost 52k rooms). In the pipeline are a further 155 hotels and 37,677 rooms by 2025, introducing a further 5 new brands to region, namely Bulgari, EDITION, AC by Marriott, Element and Fairfield Inn. By 2025 it will be in 38 countries, almost 400 hotels, and well on its way to 100,000 rooms and further there are significant growth synergies between the brands and the combined company to focus on expending brands across the region, looking for opportunities in new markets.

Emaar Hospitality Group has unveiled the first and only beachfront resort property under its flagship Address hotel brand in Dubai – The Address Jumeirah Resort + Spa, managed by The Address. The Address Hotels + Resorts will manage the 182 room hotel, serviced residences and residential apartments in the spectacularly designed towers. At a height of over 290 metres, the majestic development, with a shimmering façade opening to the Arabian Sea, is located at the end of the Jumeirah Beach Residences in Dubai Marina. Offering an unbeatable value proposition and exceptional lifestyle choice, the thoughtfully designed residences and serviced apartments will open for sale shortly. Appealing to both leisure and corporate travellers, The Address Jumeirah Resort + Spa is set apart by its distinctive location overlooking the Ain Dubai (Dubai Eye) and with direct access to Sheikh Zayed Road. It celebrates a never-before lifestyle choice with attractions including a rooftop infinity pool, 100 metres of beach frontage and exclusive F&B concepts including a lounge at the highest level.

Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons has unveiled the Emirates Airline and Tourism Ireland Sales Mission at Jumeirah Creekside Hotel, Dubai. The Sales Mission is part of Tourism Ireland’s continued efforts to drive tourism from the UAE to the island of Ireland and provides unique networking opportunity for Irish suppliers and the UAE travel trade community. With six speakers, five presentations and a networking session followed by a series of one to one sessions with Irish suppliers, the mission was attended by 90 tour operators and included a key note speech from Gerald Lawless, Head of Tourism and Hospitality at Dubai Holding. Nine Irish suppliers attended the mission, including DMC’s, hotels, retail outlets and attractions. The Sales Mission showcased the island of Ireland’s filming locations of hit TV series Game of Thrones and blockbuster movie, Star Wars. During his visit to the UAE, Gibbons also met with Mohammed Al Rais, CEO of Al Rais Travels. Tourism Ireland and Al Rais Travel have recently joined together to bring one of the region’s top bloggers, Taim Al Falasi, to tour the island of Ireland. During the Sales Mission, Al Rais Travel launched a new seven day itinerary ‘Taim’s Ireland Experience’, allowing fans of the blogger to follow in her footsteps and experience the island of Ireland.  As part of the destination’s focus on innovation to attract new audiences, Tourism Ireland also invited agents and partners to view a series of Virtual Reality Films during the roadshow which brought stunning itineraries to life including The Wild Atlantic Way and Belfast City through personal VR viewers made available to attendees.

A new transit visa structure unveiled by Qatar will now allow passengers with a minimum transit time of five hours in Hamad International Airport, to stay in Qatar for up to 96 hours (four days), without the requirement to apply ahead of time for an entry visa. Qatar Airways, Qatar Tourism Authority and Qatar’s Ministry of Interior recently announced this revised tourism visa scheme in a move to promote Qatar as a world-class stopover destination. This is a significant increase from the previous transit visa scheme, which allowed travellers with a minimum layover of eight hours to spend a maximum of 48 hours (two days) in Qatar. This increase is designed to make stopovers easier and more attractive to Qatar Airways’ global passengers, and aims to deliver additional value to the local economy while strengthening Qatar’s position as an attractive tourist destination. The Qatar transit visa is free of charge and available on arrival at Hamad International Airport to passengers of all nationalities, upon confirmation of onward journey and completion of passport control procedures. All visas are approved and issued at the sole discretion of the Ministry of Interior. The development, announced on the eve of World Tourism Day, is the third in a series of enhancements that Qatar has made to facilitate entry into the country for visitors. Last week, officials announced a new process to quicken the entry of tourists arriving on board cruise ships, and earlier, representatives signed an agreement with VFS Global, which will see the development of a new, faster and more transparent tourist visa application mechanism.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts opened the doors to the Mövenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah, an European-style property in one of Saudi Arabia’s fastest-growing cities. The 228-room property, which marks the Swiss hospitality firm’s third hotel in Jeddah and 11th in the Kingdom, seamlessly blends a classical interior design with a contemporary façade and the latest modern comforts. Located near to both the Al Harthy Exhibition Centre and Mall of Arabia, and just a 15-minute drive from King Abdulaziz International Airport, the five-star hotel meets the diverse needs of business, leisure and MICE-related travellers. The deal to manage Mövenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah has been signed with AlTayyar Travel Group, a major player in the Middle East’s tourism industry and the only publicly-listed travel group in Saudi Arabia. There are three restaurants from which to choose, including all-day dining outlet Al Deira, the glamorous Al Moltaqa Café, and Al Zohoor Garden located next to the rooftop pool. To celebrate the opening of Mövenpick Hotel City Star Jeddah, the property is offering a 25% discount on reserved room prices, which start at SAR 700 per room, per night.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG®), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, announced signing of Holiday Inn® Dubai Science Park.The newly built hotel will operate under a management agreement with an affiliate of the Rolaco Group, who also own InterContinental® Dallas, InterContinental® Semiramis, InterContinental®Geneva, Crowne Plaza® Geneva, and Crowne Plaza® Zurich. Holiday Inn Dubai Science Park will comprise of 402 rooms and suites, including five meeting rooms and a conference hall seating 600 guests. Pascal Gauvin, Chief Operating Officer, India, Middle East & Africa, IHG, said: “We are delighted to be strengthening our global partnership with the Rolaco Group through the signing of their first Holiday Inn property in Dubai. The signing reinforces our current footprint in the UAE, which includes 19 hotels open and another 11 hotels in our pipeline. The UAE is home to our second largest portfolio of hotels in the Middle East and we continue to expand our portfolio in the region.”