The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has announced the launch of a range of products, packages and experiences for pilgrims from Turkey who are wishing to visit Makkah and Madinah. A special trade roadshow hosted in Istanbul recently by the Saudi Tourism Authority announced that Turkish citizens can now obtain an entry visa into Saudi quickly and easily. Turkish nationals wishing to visit Saudi will now have the option to obtain a tourist visa through the Saudi Embassy or Consulate in Turkey, the visa issued within 48 hours through accredited travel and tourism offices in Turkey which are listed on the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. Residents of the United States of America, United Kingdom, and European Union countries, or holders of United States, United Kingdom, and Schengen active visas; can obtain the visa upon arrival at the international airports in the cities of Jeddah, Madinah, Riyadh and Dammam. The Ministry of Hajj & Umrah also launched Nusuk (nusuk.sa/tr), an integrated digital government platform designed to enhance and enrich the Umrah experience for Muslims visiting Makkah and Madinah in Turkish. The platform will enable simpler arrival procedures for visitors to perform Umrah and a range of services that will include facilitating visas, permits, booking processes and procedures along with special packages for Makkah, Madina and a host of other historical religious sites in Saudi. Additionally, Saudi citizens can now issue a personal visit visa for their friends, as can citizens and residents wishing to host their relatives.  This can be done through the unified national visa platform visa.mofa.gov.sa. Fahd Hamidaddin, CEO and Member of the Board at Saudi Tourism Authority and Managing Director of Nusuk, said: “Saudi continues its efforts …

One of the latest projects coming up in the Eastern coast is the new Khorfakkan Hotel and Waterpark which is located on a reclaimed land opposite to the Khorfakkan Port. The development features a hotel, waterpark and retail area that will maximize connectivity to the beach. These functions are located on the front edge and create a direct link to the sea. A marina front will be developed, allowing the fully take advantage of the plot, and will include a yacht bay along with branded residences facing the marina port. The 75 key hotel will feature all facilities including a gym, spa etc and the main attraction will be the water park and the mall which will bring in more visitors both international and domestic. More details on the project are yet to be released.

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has created a list of seven authentic Emirati cultural experiences visitors are recommended to try on a visit to the emirate. The experiences, created in collaboration with Emirati tour guides, will be featured on Airbnb, the global holiday rental website, offering residents and visitors the opportunity to delve deeper into the UAE’s history and heritage. Abdulrahman Al Zaabi, one of the city’s dedicated Emirati tour guides, was inspired to share his city with tourists after travelling the world and learning about different cultures and traditions through the destination’s local citizens. “In Abu Dhabi, Emirati representation is vital when it comes to guiding guests through the city,” he said. “So, seeing the need for more, I decided to take it upon myself and pursue that. Being a tour guide gives me a lot of insight into my own culture, something people expect us to know by nature, but we often don’t realize how much we don’t know. As much as I am helping our visitors learn about our valued Emirati culture, discovering the hidden gems of the city and its people, I’m also learning a lot myself.” Local guide Nasser Sabaan became a tour guide after volunteering around Abu Dhabi and realising that many expat residents have only scratched the city’s surface. Talking about his motivations, he said: “Residents, even after living in Abu Dhabi for a long time, still don’t know a lot about the history and culture of their adopted home. By becoming a tour guide, I am proudly representing my city, educating and informing those interested all about the unique identity of the UAE, its authentic …

After serving as a floating hotel during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the MSC World Europa, a futuristic, lower-carbon-fuelled cruise ship made its first call at Mina Rashid recently. The vessel began its new winter season with a 4-night sail from Doha to Dubai, reinforcing Mina Rashid and the Emirate’s position as the region’s most preferred destination for leisure marine activities. Carrying over 4,500 passengers, the vessel and its crew, led by Captain Marco Massa, were welcomed by Esam Ahmad, Senior Manager – Business management, P&O Marinas. The captain was presented with a custom-made plaque celebrating the event, in front of senior officials representing MSC and DP World. The cruise ship is scheduled to make 14 calls to Mina Rashid, bringing in over 189,000 tourists to the Emirate, underscoring Dubai’s position as the gateway for regional and international cruise itineraries. Powered by LNG, the MSC World Europa emits 99% less sulphur dioxide (SO2), 85% less nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and 20% less carbon dioxide (CO2), compared to non-LNG powered ships, making it one of the most futuristic vessels in the world. The MSC World Europa is also the first in its class to accommodate an LNG-powered fuel cell, helping cut its carbon emissions further. The 50-kilowatt fuel cell runs on solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology and uses LNG to produce electricity and heat. This technology helps the vessel reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% when compared with ships powered by conventional LNG engines alone. Esam Ahmad, Senior Manager – Business management, P&O Marinas said: “The arrival of the MSC World Europa at Mina Rashid is a significant milestone for the cruise terminal. It reaffirms our capabilities in accommodating vessels that …

flydubai announced the launch of flights to six destinations as it continues to grow its network. This includes the start of flights to Cagliari, Corfu, Krabi, Milan and Pattaya from 2023 as well as the resumption of flights to Hofuf from 24 November 2022 and flights are available for booking on flydubai.com. Since the start of 2022, flydubai has launched flights to more than 20 destinations, including Pisa and Catania in Italy, Osh in Kyrgyzstan as well as Samarkand and Namangan in Uzbekistan. The addition of these six routes will see the flydubai network expand to 113 destinations in 53 countries. This represents a significant milestone as it is the largest number of destinations the carrier will serve since it began operations. Commenting on the expansion of the airline’s network, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer at flydubai, said: “I am very proud to see our network grow bigger than ever. Dubai’s aviation industry has made a swift recovery, and our agility combined with our strong business model has enabled us to grow our operations and to achieve this significant milestone. With 113 destinations now available to book, we look forward to offering our passengers more options for travel across our ever-growing network.” Milan is the second largest city in Italy and is one of the largest shopping and tourism destinations in Europe while Cagliari is the capital city of Sardinia and is well-known for its many historical monuments and beautiful beaches. The Greek island of Corfu has become popular for its stunning landscapes, rich multi-cultural heritage, crystal-clear seas and cosmopolitan Old Town. Commenting on the launch of flights to these destinations, Jeyhun Efendi, Senior Vice President, Commercial Operations and …

Global smart hospitality solutions provider, Hudini, is set to close a record year for the business having witnessed unprecedented growth in 2022. Hudini enables hotels to provide a connected guest journey from pre-arrival to post departure, ensuring a faster, contactless, and hyper-personalized service delivery. The company’s hospitality middleware platform connects over 100 hospitality applications in one single guest interface. Driven by data and AI, Hudini’s proprietary software works across all touch points of the guest journey from online booking, mobile check-in and digital room keys to in-room services, communication, check-out, and payments. With over 300 hotels across 25 countries, Hudini is fast becoming the industry benchmark for digital transformation in the hospitality industry. The hospitality industry relies on its ability to connect people and the places they visit to create memorable experiences for its guests. In its revitalization post-pandemic, the industry is realizing the impact that technology can have on a guest’s stay, and the potential it holds to increase customer loyalty and create additional revenue. In fact, a recent study found that 62% of hotel executives said they would have “a fully contactless experience” by 2025. “It’s been an incredibly exciting year for us and we have evolved in so many ways over the past twelve months, from our product offering and team to our partners and customers,” said Prince Thampi, Founder and CEO of Hudini. “The global pandemic has not just accelerated the demand for contactless technology to provide a safe and seamless guest experience, but more importantly, has caused a significant shift in mindset when it comes to digital transformation in hospitality. Hoteliers are increasingly looking for ways to differentiate and personalize their guest experience, achieve better …

Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace reopened last week for guests. The Jewel of Beirut, Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace will open its doors yet again offering a unique taste of luxury in the heart of Beirut. Opening on 30th December 2022, the hotel offers 185 luxurious rooms including 20 elegantly appointed suites, a variety of food and beverage selections all-day at the Summer Place and hotel’s lobby lounge Tea Garden. Situated in the heart of Sin El Fil, this hotel boasts of magnificent views of the city from all the rooms. Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace has nine function rooms for 2,800 guests, including six multi-purpose meetings rooms practically located on one floor, a 24-hour business center and a dedicated Meetings Manager. In addition to this Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace Hotel provides guests with personalized services and advanced facilities including complimentary WiFi, a 24-hour business center, fitness center and outdoor pool. All designed to make every stay unforgettable. With its location only 15 minutes from Beirut International Airport, and Beirut City Center only a five-minute drive away from the hotel with an abundance of historical tourist sites in its vicinity, this hotel is an ideal base for exploring the charming Lebanese capital and the country’s main attractions. Hilton Beirut Metropolitan Palace is part of Hilton Honors®, the award-winning guest loyalty program for Hilton’s 18 world-class brands. Hilton Honors members who book directly through preferred Hilton channels have access to instant benefits, including a flexible payment slider that allows members to choose nearly any combination of Points and money to book a stay, an exclusive member discount that can’t be found anywhere else and free standard WiFi.

The Tourism Development Fund (TDF) has launched the AWN Tourism and Hospitality program to support small and micro tourism businesses in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the resources they need to realize their objectives and aspirations within the tourism industry. The program aims to support new tourism establishments, in addition to remodeling the existing ones, by leveraging the flexible financing solutions provided by TDF, with allocations of up to 10 million Saudi Riyals, and a repayment period of up to 10 years. Along with commercial franchising, the initiative will provide the targeted projects the tools they need to meet their needs in the areas of accommodation, restaurants and cafes, and entertainment. CEO of TDF Qusai Al-Fakhri, said: “This program aims to unlock the potential of small and micro tourism businesses. Small business owners, too, have great business ideas; all they need from time to time is motivation and financial support to thrive. We are confident our new initiative will give them this opportunity while encouraging knowledge sharing, entrepreneurship, and job creation in the Kingdom.” TDF has previously launched several support programs and financing solutions to assist small and micro tourism development projects in meeting their needs and creating investment opportunities to maximize their long-term impact. The pre-financing program by the Tourism Development Center is the first innovative and free educational opportunity for entrepreneurs to support and transform their ideas into sustainable businesses. The AWN Tourism Experiences program, designed for tour operators, event organizers, and cultural tourism product providers, offers financing solutions and products with easier mechanisms.

Riyadh Airports Company (RAC) has started to work on Chinese standards to be implemented at King Khalid International Airport (KKIA) into an airport that welcomes Chinese tourists, and makes their journeys easier and more pleasant, by helping to overcome language barriers and offering services such as convenient payment systems. Chinese travellers view the “Welcome Chinese certification” as the global standard for hospitality services for international travel. An E-visa is already available for Chinese travellers to Saudi Arabia and KKIA is enhancing its welcome to all Chinese travellers and carriers to Riyadh. The Saudi Capital recently has major leisure and business mega events. Diriyah season, Riyadh Season and Boulevard Riyadh City are among tourist attractions in Riyadh. The “Welcome Chinese Certification” program, developed and issued by the China Tourism Academy working with the marketing and communications firm Select Holding Ltd, is a hospitality standard specifically dedicated to Chinese travellers outside their own country. China Tourism Academy’s sponsorship guarantees uniformity in the quality of service and supports all certified businesses in entering the Chinese travel industry. With the problems caused by the pandemic starting to recede, Riyadh Airports understands the importance of Chinese passengers and started to look at how to make life easier for them when they come to visit Saudi Arabia. The company is going to provide services at KKIA including flyers, brochures, destination maps and other informational material translated into Chinese, as well as signage and flights information. The UnionPay Payment System will be available in all the main facilities, and RAC will also investigate the potential for adding additional payment methods such as WeChat Pay and Alipay.  

Visitors to the Visa Application Centre submitting their applications can now learn more about the tourism offerings and highlights of India, guided by trained professionals from VFS Global, by visiting the kiosk at the time of their appointment. Mr. N. Ram Prasad, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of India in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia formally inaugurated the new India Tourism kiosk at the VFS Global Visa Application Centre in Riyadh recently. Mr. N. Ram Prasad, Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of India in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia said, “I am pleased to launch the first India Tourism kiosk in association with VFS Global, who have been our partners in KSA for the last 14 years. In addition to best-in-class visa services, applicants will now also be able to learn about all the wondrous tourism offerings of India when they visit this centre.” Jiten Vyas, Chief Commercial Officer, VFS Global said, “We are excited to further strengthen our relationship with the Government of India with the launch of our India Tourism kiosk. I thank the Ministry of External Affairs for their constant and unwavering support and faith in our organisation and its services. As the service providers of visa and passport solutions here in Saudi Arabia, it is only fitting that we also provide informational services on all there is to offer in this bountiful country.” VFS Global caters to over 7 million Indians across 9 countries – Saudi Arabia, UK, US, Thailand, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, France, and Australia, offering passport and consular services on behalf of the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The organisation has a long-standing association with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, offering visa application …