Adding another exclusive partnership to its growing portfolio, Oman Air has signed a new agreement that allows members of its frequent flyer programme, Sindbad, to use their Miles to shop at Muscat Duty Free’s online store. With over a thousand lifestyle products ranging from cutting-edge gadgets to confectionary, luxury fragrances and accessories, and easy pick-up on the way through Muscat International Airport, it’s the perfect excuse for members to treat themselves or even gift someone they love. Mundher Al Shaikhani, Acting Vice President – Marketing, at Oman Air, said, “We’re thrilled to have partnerships with some of the best and most popular lifestyle brands, providing our loyal members with opportunities to use their hard-earned Miles in whole new ways. As Sindbad continues to evolve, we are finding new and unique ways to make their travel more rewarding every time they fly.” Renat Rozpravka, Chief Executive Officer of Muscat Duty Free, added, “We seek to further enhance the world-class offering in Oman, focusing on delivering high-quality products and an enjoyable shopping experience for passengers travelling through Muscat International Airport. We are thrilled to offer this new benefit to our valued members and look forward to seeing how they take advantage of it.” The new agreement means members can pay with their Sindbad Miles when shopping at the Muscat Duty Free online store and pick up their order when departing from or arriving at Muscat International Airport. Alternatively, they can nominate another person to collect it on their behalf. Meanwhile, members can also earn Miles when shopping in-store, benefiting from a rate of 1 Sindbad Mile per 1 Omani Rial spent at Departures, and 2 Sindbad Miles per 1 Omani Rial spent …

Within the framework of Kuwait Airways’ continuous endeavours to provide the best services and solutions to its valued customers, the company announced the launching of the Electronic Boarding Passes, as a new service enabling customers to check-in and complete their travel procedures on Kuwait Airways’ website or the electronic application for more than 22 selected stations, for those arriving to Kuwait. Speaking on the launch of this new service, the Chairman of Kuwait Airways, Captain Ali Al-Dukhan stated, “Kuwait Airways is committed to its tireless efforts to introduce the latest services that will enable passengers to save time and facilitate the completion of their travel procedures. The launch of the Electronic Boarding Pass is part of the Blue Bird’s efforts to implement its strategic objectives towards digital transformation, which is in line with the best standards and solutions in the aviation sector, and to provide distinguished services for passengers travelling on the National Carrier of the State of Kuwait. This is in addition to the recent launch of various other new services during the National Holidays, such as the Home Check-in Service and the Limousine Service for Royal and First Class passengers”. Al-Dukhan added, “Customers can check-in through the Kuwait Airways website or the electronic application, select their preferred seat, complete their reservation procedures, and then obtain the barcode for their flight. Passengers without any luggage can proceed directly to the passport control, show the barcode and head to the boarding gate, without the requirements of proceeding to the check-in counter to check their baggage allowance.” Al-Dukhan continued by saying, “As for passengers carrying baggage, they can complete their travel procedures either through the self-baggage weighing device according to its …

Expo 2020 Dubai and its legacy are expected to contribute AED 154.9 billion (USD 42.2 billion) of gross value added (GVA) to the UAE’s economy from 2013 to 2042, a report from EY has shown. The World Expo, which welcomed 24.1 million visits during its six-month run, is also expected to support approximately 1,039,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) job-years, equal to more than 35,000 FTE jobs per annum in the UAE over the same period. The sectors contributing most to GVA – a measure of economic productivity – are events organisation and business services (AED 75.5 billion/USD 20.6 billion), construction (AED 31.9 billion/USD 8.7 billion), and restaurants and hotels (AED 23.1 billion/USD 6.3 billion). The pre-event phase contributed around one quarter of GVA, the event itself added almost 13 per cent, while the lion’s share of economic benefits – 62 percent – will be felt in the legacy phase through to 2042. Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and CEO, Expo City Dubai Authority said: “From the outset, we were committed to hosting a World Expo that would achieve long-lasting economic, social and environmental benefits for the UAE, the region and the world, with positive impacts extending well beyond the six months of the event. Despite the challenges of a global pandemic, we have delivered on that promise. “One year since we closed our doors, this report confirms that Expo 2020 Dubai was a triumph – a milestone event that is substantially boosting our nation’s economy, and whose ripple effects are continuing to enhance our city’s international profile, driving new business growth and attracting globally significant events such as the UN Climate Change Conference of …

The world’s leading aerospace event, Dubai Airshow has grown immensely in significance and influence over the years, highlighted by the success of the November 2021 edition, which saw more than USD 74 billion worth of deals announced during the mega event. It welcomed more than 104,000 attendees and witnessed a 50% increase in trade visitors, which included global senior executives from 148 countries. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, the 18th edition of Dubai Airshow is set to take place from 13-17 November 2023 at Dubai World Central (DWC), Dubai Airshow Site. The event is supported by key aviation industry stakeholders including Dubai Airports, the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), the UAE Ministry of Defence, Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP) and the UAE Space Agency. With 2023 announced by UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the ‘Year of Sustainability’, the latest edition will focus on showcasing the sustainability initiatives and technologies from government entities and the wider aerospace industry, further reinforcing the UAE’s unwavering commitment to promoting sustainable circularity ahead of COP28 summit in Dubai. Across the country, industry players continue to invest in new projects and initiatives such as Emirates operating its first demo flight powered with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel and Dubai Airports implementing efficiencies and innovative solutions to limit its environmental impact. Significant growth is also expected within aerial mobility, with Dubai pledging to launch flying taxis in 2026, advancements in electric and hybrid eVTOL’s and the DCAA publishing the world’s first national regulations related to vertiports. His Highness Sheikh …

Following the breakthrough expanded air transport agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Canada, Emirates is stepping up its frequency with two additional flights per week between Dubai and Toronto. From 20 April, daily flights will operate on the busy route to serve huge demand for passenger services. The move comes as bilateral relations between the United Arab Emirates and Canada have enhanced significantly, with both countries set to reap vast economic benefits across a multitude of sectors and supply chains. Hailing the development as a crucial one for the airline, Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer, said: Emirates welcomes the expansion of the air services agreement between the UAE and Canada and we would firstly like to thank all stakeholders and authorities who were involved in this pivotal agreement that will provide a boost to the aviation and tourism sectors in both countries. We have been serving customers between Toronto and Dubai since 2007, and although the double-decker A380 aircraft has been operating the route since 2009, demand arising from leisure and corporate travellers, diaspora and students has consistently outstripped the allocated capacity. This enhanced agreement represents a turning point for us in our strategy to serve our customers better, by offering more choice and flexibility, and meet pent up demand across our growing network. “Business ties between Canada and the UAE have grown significantly over the years and the expanded air services will help to further nurture business and trade.  The expansion of air services is also an affirmation of the growing importance of the UAE to Canada’s global connectivity, which we can support through our global network of more than 130 destinations. Together with the relevant authorities, …

Kinan International and Elaf Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a management agreement in addition to supervising the preparation of designs for the construction of the hotel within the Aliat Mall project in Medina for 15 years. The mall also includes an area of modern retail stores, restaurants and a cinema, in addition to the hotel. The key goals of the MoU between Elaf Group and Kinan International Real Estate Development Company includes overseeing the implementation of 230 rooms and suites in line with the highest standards set out by the Ministry of Tourism, as well as demands of the visitors of Medina, with an investment of more than 220 million Saudi Riyals. The project is estimated to be completed in the first quarter of 2025. Eng. Jamjoom, said: “We are delighted to partner with Elaf Group, a prominent company in the hospitality and tourism sector of Saudi Arabia. We anticipate the MoU with Elaf Group to significantly contribute to the national strategies of enhancing the standards of living by boosting the quality of hospitality services offered to pilgrims and Umrah performers, which will further give them the opportunity to enjoy the one-of-its-kind Saudi Arabian hospitality. The new project will feature unique and remarkable architecture in Medina. It is expected to be a vital addition to the tourism and hospitality sector of the Kingdom, as it expects to witness massive growth. Our MoU with Elaf Group will contribute to this growth, by providing exceptional services to pilgrims and visitors through this new hotel.” Dr. Ezzat, said: “We are happy to sign this MoU with Kinan International Real Estate Development Company. In line with the MoU, we seek to …

AVIAREPS and the World Tourism Organization UNWTO announced a partnership to join forces and support the development and growth of the international tourism sector in selected European UNWTO member countries. This will be achieved through the award of a full-service destination marketing grant and four research grants. AVIAREPS, an Affiliate Member of the UNWTO, will provide a diverse 360° portfolio of destination marketing and research services free of charge to a total of five countries chosen by UNWTO. The UNWTO + AVIAREPS Destination Marketing Grant will include a suite of digital marketing services such as campaign websites, landing pages, webinars, online press conferences, e-learning programmes and virtual events provided via the AVIAREPS Ecosystem. The Digital Ecosystem is AVIAREPS’ brand-new all-in-one marketing hub for the travel industry, which empowers everyone to market their destination and product to a global community online via a platform that combines several digital marketing services into one unified hub. The service portfolio furthermore includes Influencer Marketing services via AVIAREPS’ matchmaking platform Swayfluence, which takes the guesswork out of influencer marketing by making quality connections between brands and influencers for authentic and impactful campaigns. While the pandemic put the travel industry worldwide on hold, AVIAREPS was quick to invest in digital innovations to diversify its service portfolio. Through ongoing consultations with industry leaders, state-of-the-art digital services, that are economical and answer the specific challenges faced by destination marketing organisations, are now available through these efforts. It is hoped that this suite of digital services will be able to benefit all countries and regions to rebound quickly and sustainably following the effects of the pandemic. In addition to the Ecosystem and Swayfluence services, the UNWTO + AVIAREPS Destination …

Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai supported the Earth Hour initiative last 25th March 2023 by switching off the lights from 8:30PM to 9:30PM. The hotel went dark by turning off non-essential lights for one hour emphasizing on its commitment to addressing environmental issues and to raise awareness on the impact of energy savings. Several activities have implemented such as turned down the lights in the lobby, restaurants and other public areas and only used candle lights, encouraged guests to participate by placing letters in the guest rooms as a reminder to do the same lights off moments and the Human Resources team has prepared few activities at the colleague’s accommodation such as cake cutting, games, awarding for minimal consumption of water and electricity. Commenting on the initiatives, Mr. Simon Moore, General Manager of Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai said, ” “It’s an honor for us to support Earth Hour movement because it echoes our Green Key strategy and ambition to be the driving force of a more sustainable hospitality industry. Earth Hour reflects our goal to practice and maintain sustainability & energy conservation every year.” Since beginnings in 2007, Earth Hour has been known from around the globe by switching off the lights for an hour to show symbolic support for the planet. But it is so much more than that. It is a symbol of unity. It is a symbol of hope. It is a demonstration of the power of collective action for our future and the planets. This year under the slogan of “The Greatest Hour for Earth”- give an Hour for Earth by spending 60 minutes doing something – anything – positive for our planet.

The Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai recently hosted a free medical checkup for its hotel colleagues led by the hotel’s Human Resources team and in support and collaboration with First Response Healthcare. The medical examination includes a check-up for blood pressure, sugar, BMI, optical and dental consultation. A free medical checkup has been carried out to help employees monitor themselves and remind them how vital the health in daily lives. Mr. Simon Moore, General Manager of Millennium Airport Hotel Dubai, said, ““In order for us to take care our guests and achieve our goal of providing a good working and healthy environment, we always put our colleague’s health and safety as our priority as they play a significant role in the company success. We would like them to stay healthy, feel secure, and comfortable so our colleagues can productively fulfill their tasks.” The medical camp was held last 13th March 2023 at the hotel’s training room from 10am till 4pm. More than 100 hotel colleagues were checked and received health advice on how to maintain a happy and healthy lifestyle.  

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the specialized agency of the United Nations for tourism development, and the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM), an esteemed investment platform in the Middle East, have strengthened their cooperation around common interests in tourism-related investments. The two parties will work together to harness the power of tourism to drive global development and to accelerate the implementation of the agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS), particularly now that economies are now starting to recover from the pandemic. UNWTO and AIM, through this new Memorandum of Understanding, have formally committed to jointly support the following goals: the effective implementation of the agenda 2030 and the 17 SDGs through tourism investments, and the promotion of innovation and technology. UNWTO and AIM’s collaborative works related to investment facilitation and promotion will see them share and disseminate knowledge regarding investment policies among their stakeholders and networks and maximize foreign direct investments’ positive economic impact on the sector. UNWTO is the leading international organization in the field of tourism. It promotes tourism as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development, environmental sustainability and aims to drive the digitalization of tourism and to create an innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. The Organization offers leadership and support to the sector in advancing knowledge and tourism policies worldwide. AIM provides an invaluable and unparalleled opportunity for public and private entities to come together to achieve their shared vision of growth and sustainability. Anchored around the theme of “The Investment Paradigm Shift: Future Investment Opportunities To Foster Sustainable Economic Growth, Diversity and Prosperity,” this year’s AIM edition will focus on 10 key sectors that include Tourism & Hospitality, among others. In line with the two …