Residents of Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can apply for visas to Italy at the new Visa Application Centre jointly launched by the Consulate General of Italy in the UAE, and VFS Global, the world’s largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide. The centre was officially inaugurated on 27 September 2020 by Ms. Valentina Setta, Consul General of Italy in Dubai, and Mr. ZubinKarkaria, Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global, in the presence of dignitaries from the Italian Consulate and VFS Global staff members. Commenting at the inauguration ceremony, Vinay Malhotra, Regional Group Chief Operating Officer – South Asia, Middle East & North Africa, Americas, VFS Global said, “With the launch of the new centre in Dubai, and our new relationship with the Consulate General of Italy in the UAE, VFS Global reinforces its partnership with the Italian Ministry. VFS Global has a long association with Italy, providing visa services on behalf of the country since 2004. With the growing demand for Italy as a destination, we look forward to welcoming customers to our new centre and offering them our best-in-class services.” In order to ensure a safe, productive work environment for employees, while still protecting communities to the maximum extent possible from the spread of the novel coronavirus, VFS Global has established standardised protective measures to be followed across the centre including specific social distancing and sanitation mandates. All customers are subject to body temperature checks before entering the centre, to assess their health condition. Any customer exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, including high fever, cough and breathing difficulties will not be permitted to …

Millennium and Copthorne Makkah Al Naseem hotels have completed all reopening preparations and will start receiving Makkah visitors on October 1. The two hotels provide quality services with international standards and adopt the highest safety and preventive measures. Shafqaat Bukhari, Cluster General Manager, Millennium and Copthorne Makkah Al Naseem, said, “Guests safety is our top priority and maintaining hygiene and cleanliness is paramount in the hospitality industry. We want every guest to feel safe and comfortable at our properties.” “We follow all standards and regulations of the Saudi Ministry of Tourism to ensure the wellbeing of our guests with high precautionary measures being maintained in both properties as part of ‘We clean. We Care. We Welcome’ initiative that has been launched by Millennium Hotels & Resorts to combat the widespread pandemic. Through following these high standards and preventive procedures, we maintain hygiene and safety across the 1307 rooms and suites, and 4 Restaurants & lounges, while continuing to provide five-star hotel service”, he added. The two hotels are perfectly located at Makkah Al Mukarramah within walking distance from Aisha Al-Rajhi Mosque. In addition to easy access to the holy sites including Arafat, Mina and Muzdalifah, free parking, a 24/ 7 free shuttle service to and from the haram, on-site recreational activities, entertainment, restaurants and business facilities are available within Al Rajhi complex for the guests to enjoy while staying in the hotels.

TravTalk Middle East will be hosting the first ever virtual exhibition on 23rd and 24th November 2020, connecting 40 selected first come first served basis exhibitors from the Middle East with buyers from across the globe. Gulf Travel Show (GTS) with its proprietary exhibition software will help you recover, rebuild and innovate relationships and products. Although this is a virtual event, our goal is the same as live events- to introduce you to buyers, help grow your brand and build long-term profitable business connections. At TravTalk we have been working more closely with the industry during the pandemic keeping the positive vibes by conducting various trade shows, webinars and online newsletters on a regular basis. This event will be a new venture that would enable you to meet online; in the comfort of your own home or even in the office with buyers that will help you grow your business further.

Nature enthusiasts, can once again find sanctuary in Jubail Mangrove Park, Abu Dhabi’s, first of its kind, educational, nature and leisure destination on beautiful Jubail Island effective October 1, 2020. Abu Dhabi’s premier nature attraction, Jubail Mangrove Park, first opened in January with the aim of enhancing the awareness, appreciation and understanding of the delicate ecosystem and rich biodiversity of the UAE capital’s famed mangroves. The park was an instant success with residents and visitors alike, who flocked to explore the mangroves. The park temporarily ceased operations in March in accordance with safety precautions to limit the spread of COVID-19. Visitors will once again be able to stroll down the sprawling boardwalk that runs through the mangroves, meander through 2.3 kilometres of Boardwalk and see a variety of terrestrial and aquatic flora and fauna. Specially trained rangers are on hand who can explain the history behind the mangroves and detail wildlife native to Abu Dhabi that can be spotted within the lush natural habitat and crystal waters. Educational tours led by rangers and other activities will also resume. Richard Russell, Chief Operations Officer of Jubail Island Investment Company (JIIC) said, “We have been working tirelessly with our partners in preparation for the reopening as the safety and health of our visitors and employees has – and remains – our top priority. As we resume operations, we have implemented policies designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and we will monitor all aspects of this issue as we continue to co-ordinate with relevant entities and strive to meet the highest standards of safety. We urge the public to help us keep our treasured park open by also doing their part by …

Abu Dhabi has demonstrated its commitment to safely organising large, high-profile events through successful management of health and safety protocols, as some of the biggest names in UFC, touched down in the UAE capital for the much-anticipated Return to UFC Fight Island. The mega five-event series is set to take place on Yas Island from September 27 to October 25. Brazilian fighter Paulo Costa and opponent Israel Adesanya arrived at the W Hotel, inside the UFC Fight Island safe zone on Yas Island, ahead of their UFC 253: ADESANYA vs COSTA clash on September 27. Both sporting black face masks on arrival, the pair were joined by Jan Blachowicz and Dominick Reyes, who go head-to-head in the co-main event light heavyweight bout on the same event card. Following two initial COVID-19 tests prior to their departure and upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, the athletes are required a third negative test before they can leave their hotel rooms and access the state-of-the-art UFC Fight Island™ safe zone, which includes all event facilities on Yas Island. Having achieved a new benchmark in global sport safety with its pioneering ‘bubble’ concept at the inaugural UFC Fight Island™ in July, the 6 square km safe zone incorporates the arena, hotels, and training facilities, as well as entertainment and dining establishments. The safe zone is only accessible to UFC fighters, coaches, delegates and UAE-based event personnel, as well as employees necessary to ensure operational continuity of Yas Island facilities.

Emirates’ African network will expand to 15 destinations with the restart of Luanda, Angola from 1 October. The airline continues to gradually and safely restore its network, delivering on its health and safety promise as it responds to growth in passenger demand across the globe. Flights to Luanda will initially operate once a week on Thursdays. Emirates flight EK793 will depart Dubai at 0945hrs, arriving in Luanda at 1430hrs. EK794 will depart Luanda at 1825hrs, arriving in Dubai at 0510hrs the next day. Customers can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors. Ensuring the safety of travellers, visitors, and the community, COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.

Radisson Hotel Group announced the launch of its new Hybrid Solutions incorporating Hybrid Rooms and Hybrid Meetings. Radisson Hotel Group’s Hybrid Meetings combine the best of meeting in person and virtually, offering a reliable image, sound and video conferencing system, dual screens, wireless presentation clicker, high-speed internet connection, and more. As the world continues to adapt to ‘new normals’ and ongoing travel limitations, meeting and event organisers can now choose to offer virtual participation options and hybrid formats that allow for small local gatherings, while also broadcasting to remote attendees and satellite locations. Tim Cordon, Area Senior Vice President, Middle East & Africa, Radisson Hotel Group, said, “With the various government imposed restrictions, travelling to meet in person has become somewhat impossible. However, as a hotel group with hospitality at its core, we certainly understand the importance of connections and the need to adapt and exercise flexibility, which has led to the creation and introduction of Hybrid Solutions.” Radisson Hotel Group has partnered with Zoom, the leader in modern enterprise video communication, to provide a smooth experience for their clients’ virtual and hybrid meetings and events. Specialist in-house event teams will assist clients in delivering a range of events from hybrid multi-site meetings to broadcasting events, ensuring events are efficient, effective, and engaging, with flawless execution and no audio / visual problems. Hybrid Rooms perfectly combine the facilities of a state-of-the-art office with the comforts of a superior hotel room to create a productive, dedicated, and quiet workspace for the business traveller, leisure guest, and local day-guest alike. Hybrid Rooms offer easy connectivity to second screen devices, video-conferencing facilities, wireless enabled keyboard, mouse and loudspeaker, printing services, stationery, unlimited coffee …

Unifree Duty Free has implemented state-of-the-art retail technologies at the New Istanbul Airport. These solutions – which rely on a cutting-edge network infrastructure from Swiss structured cabling specialist R&M – include three-dimensional holograms, enhanced digital signage systems, and touch-free digital shopping technologies.Offering an example of how its technology innovations strongly position Istanbul Grand Airport to ensure the safety and well-being of the ninety million travellers expected to visit the Duty Free zone annually, Osman Ayhan, Director of Information Technology at Unifree Duty Free said, “Enhanced digital signage systems give customers the opportunity to virtually try on luxury watches, jewellery and suits before they decide whether to buy or not.” This touch-free experience will be especially important to travellers in the post-COVID world. Ayhan explained that the decision to partner with R&M was based on a highly-positive recommendation from the airport’s IT department which has itself utilised 5,400 km of copper cablings and 3,270 km of fiber-optic cabling from R&M for connectivity of critical airport IT systems. “R&M is characterised by its quality, innovation, fast delivery times, expertise, flexibility and modular products. We also see the team spirit at R&M, the back-office support and the special training of installers on-site as a distinct advantage,” he said. “We are extremely proud to expand R&M’s footprint at the world’s largest airport. Unifree has demonstrated a commitment to pioneering the new digital shopping experiences that will be essential to travellers in the coming months and years. The technologies we have provided serve as a reliable platform on which the company can continue to innovate with confidence in the performance, security and reliability of the underlying systems,” said Nabil Khalil, Executive Vice-President of R&M Middle …

Saudi International Airshow 2021, to be held from February 16-18 in Riyadh announced the inaugural participation of the Women in Aviation Middle East Chapter (WAI-ME), a non-profit association dedicated to providing opportunities to women striving for careers in the aviation industry. Launched in the UAE, this Chapter shines a light on female role models in the Middle East to demonstrate the many opportunities for women in the aviation sector. It is fueled by the possibilities of supporting current and future generations of women to achieve their goals and ambitions as they work side by side with men in the industry. Saudi International Airshow forms part of the Vision 2030 program as the aviation sector continues to play an essential role in the diversification and expansion of the Saudi economy. Since the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has also included women’s rights in Vision 2030, exhibiting companies are supporting women and making more jobs available in aviation. WAI-ME aims to bring together women working in all areas of aviation across the Middle East to inspire and encourage future generations of women to consider a fulfilling career in aviation, and is committed to ensuring its vision, mission and goals are comprehensively realised. “We are delighted that the WAI-ME chapter will join us in February as it will help to cultivate a culture of understanding and appreciation for the Chapter’s vision within the local community, and the region as a whole. Women bring so much to aviation and WAI-ME is invaluable in supporting women at an extremely exciting time for Middle Eastern aviation,” commented Samantha Chastang, Executive Sales Manager for the event.

Emirates airline has reaffirmed its commitment to growing its operations in Bahrain with the introduction of a second daily flight to the Kingdom. The expanded schedule will offer enhanced connectivity for customers travelling to Dubai and beyond to Emirates’ network of over 85 destinations. The second daily flight will be operated by an Emirates Boeing 777-300ER. Starting from 20 September, EK837 will depart from Dubai at 0945hrs, arriving in Bahrain at 1000hrs. The return flight, EK838 will depart from Bahrain 1130hrs, arriving in Dubai at 1355hrs. Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, Emirates sales offices, via travel agents as well as online travel agents. Customers can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors. Ensuring the safety of travellers, visitors, and the community, COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.