Dubai Parks and Resorts and Real Madrid C.F. have revealed the name of the first ever Real Madrid-theme park: Real Madrid World. Set to open at the Middle East’s largest theme park destination, Real Madrid World will welcome sports fans, families and friends who can look forward to adrenaline-pumping themed attractions, immersive experiences and fan engagement opportunities, celebrating football and basketball the Real Madrid way. Inspired by the skills, winning spirit and values of the club, guests of all ages will be taken on a timeless journey to experience the past, present and future of the club. Here, guests will come face to face with icons from across different eras and share the passion of some of the heroic comebacks and greatest achievements that have created the legend of Real Madrid, both on and off the pitch. Real Madrid World promises to host new and exciting experiences for guests of all ages, including adrenaline-pumping rides, family-friendly attractions, themed food and dining, as well as unique retail stores featuring a collection of official Real Madrid merchandise, celebrating the club’s history. Real Madrid World will be home to exciting experiences tailored for every thrill-seeker and fan. A ‘world-first’ addition to Dubai Parks™ and Resorts, the theme park will engage sports fans, families, and children, contributing to Dubai’s status as a leading tourism destination. Dubai Parks™ and Resorts is the first theme park destination in the world to announce a major partnership with Real Madrid C.F. Details will be announced soon, including more information on the signature rollercoasters, food and restaurants, official retail stores, and the interactive and virtual skill games that will become part of the new theme park destination. Fans and …

Tawfeeq Travel, Holidays and Ezytrip Qatar achieved triple crowning glory as ‘Fastest Growing DMC – Qatar,’ ‘Best TMC Qatar’ and ‘Fastest Growing B2B Online Travel Portal Qatar.’ at the sixth edition of Arabian Travel Awards. Rehan Ali – CEO – Tawfeeq Holidays shared, “The event was very well planned and organised. The overall setup was very lively and gave a good opportunity to network and connect with industry leaders across the region. These awards encourage business to continuously improvise and innovate. Travel awards can help acknowledge and promote businesses and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the travel and tourism sector. This recognition can lead to increased visibility and credibility within the industry and among travellers. Winning an Arabian Travel Award is a thrilling achievement, signifying recognition for excellence in the travel industry and a sense of pride and accomplishment. This award works as a powerful motivator to excel in 2024 and maintain or surpass the award categories. This will help us to drive and provide better travel experiences to our travellers.”  

Air Cairo marks a significant 20th anniversary milestone with the inauguration of its new route connecting Cairo and Sharjah. His Excellency Ali Salim Almidfa, Chairman of Sharjah International Airport Authority, along with department managers and officials from Sharjah Airport, joined Air Cairo in commemorating this achievement. The ceremony acknowledged the collaborative efforts that brought the new route to fruition. Hussein Sherif, Chairman and CEO of Air Cairo, expressed his honor in confirming the initiation of a new developmental phase for the airline. This initiative aims to enhance operational efficiency, accommodate passenger movement, and open new horizons for Air Cairo. Hussein Sherif Chairman and CEO of Air Cairo, “I would like to begin my speech by extending my warmest greetings and welcoming the distinguished guests, His Excellency Ali Salim Almidfa, Chairman of Sharjah International Airport Authority, the department managers and officials of Sharjah Airport, and Air Cairo team, for their outstanding efforts in launching a new route between Cairo and Sharjah as an additional destination to our network, coinciding with the celebration of Air Cairo’s 20th Anniversary. As the Chairman and CEO of Air Cairo, I am honored to confirm that a new phase of the company’s development has begun to enhance an advanced model to increase work efficiency, accommodate passenger movement and open new horizons. Despite the challenges facing the Arab region, we are confident and optimistic that joint efforts and continuous support will lead to achieving our goals, including expanding our network, opening new markets, maintaining customer satisfaction, and increasing tourism traffic to and from the Arab Republic of Egypt. Air Cairo has the youngest fleet in Africa and the Middle East, with an average age of five years …

SalamAir announced that they will commence flights from Muscat to Lucknow from 17th December. The service will operate five times a week, with flights scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday, and Monday. This route expansion provides excellent connectivity to all GCC destinations, including Kuwait, Bahrain, Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh, Doha, Dubai, and Fujairah. This strengthens their commitment to their passengers offering them greater flexibility and more travel options.

TravTalk Middle East was the official media partner for the second edition of Qatar Travel Mart which kicked off today in Doha. This year, QTM is set to offer an array of impactful events including an international conference, the Global Village exhibition, a prestigious Gala Dinner, an Awards Ceremony, and a thoughtfully designed Hosted Buyers’ Program. These components are tailored to enhance business-to-business (B2B) prospects. In addition, there will be media familiarization trips and cultural tours. These endeavors collectively aim to cater to the needs of both inbound and outbound travel and tourism enterprises. QTM 2023 will serve as a unifying platform where local and international Destination Management Companies (DMCs), Tour Operators, Travel Agencies, Travel Technology Companies, Associations, and Tourism Boards will converge. This convergence is intended to transcend the confines of the sporting industry, fostering a space for diverse entities to convene. Through this endeavor, fresh connections will be forged, novel opportunities seized, and pre-existing relationships rekindled. This cohesive ecosystem will not only facilitate professional interactions but also will also play a pivotal role in propelling expansion and ingenuity across the travel and tourism landscape.  

With the new ETA announced for GCC and Jordanian nationals, Visit Britain conducted a special webinar for the agents in the GCC region. It was a well-attended webinar with over 300 agents posing their questions to the two speakers, from Visit Britain and the UK government’s home office.  At the beginning Visit Britain shared about their brand-new campaign for 2024, where there was a host of varied experiences which come in the bucket list of the travellers especially from this region as the interest keep increasing mainly due to the great outdoors, rich heritage, culture and the adventurous explorations. A special video was placed showcasing all the great areas to explore, the winter wonderland in Hyde Park, Oxford, Regent etc. “Britain has got it. I invite you to see it for yourself. This is our brand-new brand campaign that has launched this month. Welcome to Britain, where there’s always more to explore. Journey, wild coastlines, adventures through our vibrant cities, go monster hunting, meet the locals. Come see things differently. Plan your trip and visit Britain.com. As you can see, let me just check if I’ve off mused. I’ve this before. Yes, as you can see, there is so much to see and do in just 30 seconds. But what I want to do is start with the most magical time of the year. So basically, there’s nowhere else in the world, I think, that does the festive season quite like the UK. We all know of winter wonderland in Hyde Park, Oxford, Regent and Carnaby Street, Drakes and Twins and Lights, and the famous Ice Rink at Somerset House.” The power point presentation included, Winter Wonderlands and Festive Season, …

TravelSamer Homsi was recognised as the ‘Best Hospitality Leader’ at the sixth edition of the Arabian Travel Awards. Speaking with Travel TV Middle East Samer Homsi – General Manager – Metropolitan Hotel Dubai shared, “I’m very proud of my team, with their support I managed to win and we managed to win Best corporate hotel and I have won Best hospitality leader and it is an honour to have won those two prestigious awards.” The Chief Guest H.E Datuk Seri Ahmad Fadil Bin Shamsuddin Ambassador of Malaysia to the UAE gracing the occasion shared, “It is an honour and privilege for me to be invited to join the experts in the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry this evening. To the organiser, please accept my appreciation and gratitude in organising the 6th edition of the Arabian Travel Awards, which recognises the contribution of the leaders of travel, tourism and hospitality in the Middle East. ” HE Datuk Seri Ahmad Fadil bin Shamsuddin, Ambassador of Malaysia to the UAE graced the occasion of Chief Guest presenting the awards to the stars of the night. It was an amazing night of celebration as the sixth edition of the Arabian Travel Awards concluded recognizing the stars of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry at the Sofitel downtown Dubai.  

Miral announced a 16,900 sqm expansion to Yas Island’s Yas Waterworld set for construction completion in 2025, the expansion will see the addition of 3.3 km of slide sections and is expected to grow guest capacity by 20% through the addition of 18 new thrilling rides and attractions, taking the park total to more than 60 rides and experiences. This is due to its huge popularity with both local and international visitors. Once open, the park will include the UAE’s highest slide, as well as the GCC’s first amusement ride in a water park, that is integrated within a waterslide complex. This exhilarating ride promises an unparalleled adventure, with a 15-meter-high drop for up to 20 guests and water park enthusiasts, who can experience this adrenaline rush together. Mohamed Abdalla Al Zaabi, Group CEO commented: “This expansion marks another addition to our world-class attractions and experiences on Yas Island, and a testament to achieving our vision of positioning it as a top global destination for entertainment and leisure. We are proud to be contributing to the development of Abu Dhabi’s ecosystem and economic diversification, while further enhancing its global appeal as a tourism hub.” For the last decade, Yas Waterworld has immersed guests in ‘The Legend of the Lost Pearl’ story, which reflects the UAE’s rich pearl-diving heritage. Combining the coolest rides and thrilling attractions as well as shopping and dining options into a seamless, guest experience, the award-winning theme park is the ultimate water adventure. Introducing a new chapter to the story, Yas Waterworld will bring a new adventure called the ‘Lost City’. Guests will embark on an exciting journey to discover hidden treasures and secret passages, intertwined with …

Satguru Travel clinched titles as ‘Best Corporate TMC’ and  ‘Fastest Growing GSA’ at the sixth edition of the Arabian Travel Awards. Dinkar Dasaur – General Manager UAE – Satguru shared, “A Prestigious platform to nominate, appreciate & honor the top performers in the travel sector & an opportunity for experts to network. Winning an award with ATA is a testimony of being one of the best in the nominated category considering validation from the customers and Jury. It elevates & validates the efforts of our teams who strive hard for excellence. Sharing the platform with the best in the industry through the nominations of ATA, is a motivating factor in itself.  The categories of nominations at ATA signifies the market trend and client preferences & gives us the opportunity to invent & innovate new products in the Travel space.”  

Emirates announced an order for 15 additional Airbus A350-900s at the Dubai Airshow 2023, worth US$ 6 billion. This takes Emirates’ total A350 order book to a total of 65 units. HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates airline and Group said: “The A350-900s will add to our fleet mix and we are pleased to announce additional orders for this aircraft type. We plan to deploy our A350s to serve a range of new markets including long-haul missions of up to 15 hours flying time from Dubai. We will work closely with Airbus and Rolls-Royce to ensure our aircraft deliver the best possible operating efficiency and flying experience for our customers.” “Emirates’ orders this week are all carefully planned to support our future growth and the Dubai economic vision set out by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The Emirates experience is often the first visitor experience of Dubai – and we want it to be the best.” Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International said: “With this agreement we mark another solid step forward in the long standing relationship agreement between Emirates and Airbus. A relationship founded on a pursuit of innovation, efficiency and operational excellence. Just as the A380 established itself at the heart of Emirates operations, we are equally proud of what the A350 will do in the years to come.” The first A350 is scheduled to join Emirates’ fleet in August 2024, and with today’s additional orders, Emirates will receive A350 deliveries until early 2028. Including its order for 95 additional Boeing aircraft on Monday, Emirates will have a total order book of 310 wide-body aircraft. …