Onur Dedeköylü, who has been working as Senior Vice President for Marketing at Pegasus Airlines since 2010 and has made significant contributions to the company’s ancillary product management, digital transformation and to building the Pegasus brand, has been appointed Chief Commercial Officer. Onur Dedeköylü will manage the Commercial division, consisting of the sales, network planning, marketing, revenue management and pricing, guest experience and cargo departments. Onur Dedeköylü is a graduate of Industrial Engineering from Boğaziçi University and holds an MBA degree in marketing and finance from Georgia State University in Atlanta. He began his career at Gillette working in the fields of sales and marketing. After working at the global headquarters of Kimberly Clark’s health products division in Atlanta, USA, he continued his career in the UK. He worked in the fields of market research, product development and brand management at Hasbro’s European headquarters in the UK. He continued his career at the Coca-Cola Company, managing the Coca-Cola brand in Turkey. In 2010, Onur Dedeköylü joined Pegasus Airlines as Senior Vice President. In this role, he was responsible for brand management, ancillary product development and management, digital channels management, data analytics and loyalty management functions. Onur Dedeköylü started his role as Chief Commercial Officer on 13 May 2022.

Evolvin’ Women, a social enterprise dedicated to the empowerment of women in developing countries, are announcing a new partnership with Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts,  a Dubai national champion and an acclaimed luxury hospitality leader — operating 23 Jumeirah branded properties in eight countries. The partnership with Jumeirah Beach Hotel will provide women participating in the Evolvin’ Women programme with vocational training, skills development and potential job placements through a pivotal 2-year joint programme. The programme will begin online where, Evolvin’ Women candidates will receive mentorship and workshops. Following the training program, the women will be offered the opportunity to take up job placements at Jumeirah Beach Hotel and continue their professional development, ahead of going back to their home countries. Assia Riccio, Founder of Evolvin’ Women, said: “The aim of this partnership is to empower the unemployed women we work with, to follow their passion for hospitality.  Programmes like Evolvin’ Women offer access to world class hospitality brands like Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts where they can hone their skills, engage with industry professionals, and learn the highest standards of service excellence, which the UAE is well-known for. Once they go back to their home countries, they take with them much needed skills and competencies that will allow them to excel professionally, support their communities and contribute to advancing their societies.” Four women from Evolvin’ Women training programme have already onboarded and started working in Dubai. Cleopatra Mutoki from Zambia and Honorine Uwamurera from Rwanda have been successfully integrated within the hotel team as waitresses and Nadine Rucinga from Rwanda as a Guest Services Agent. The successful completion of the programme at Jumeirah Beach Hotel will support the expansion of the …

Emirates reaffirmed its partnership with Mauritius by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA). The current agreement builds on the existing partnership between the two entities to promote tourism to Mauritius from key markets across the Emirates network. The MoU was signed at the 2022 Arabian Travel Market, the region’s largest travel trade event in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group. The agreement was signed by Mr. Ahmed Khoory, Emirates’ SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean and Mr. Arvind Bundhun, Director, Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA). Ahmed Khoory, SVP Commercial West Asia & Indian Ocean at Emirates said, “We enjoy a long-standing partnership with Mauritius and have had a fruitful association in the past. The renewal of this partnership is a testament of our commitment to boost tourism to the island nation.” “As international borders reopen and travel restrictions ease, we remain deeply committed to support initiatives that boost inbound tourism and increase leisure traffic to Mauritius. Emirates’ second daily flight will now start from 23 June to facilitate summer travel from the Americas, Europe and the Middle East to the island nation. The extension of our partnership reiterates our commitment to Mauritius and enables joint initiatives to undertake tourism recovery,” he added. Honourable Louis Steven Obeegadoo, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism said, “We are delighted to be renewing this MoU with Emirates as we pursue the strong partnership, we have developed over almost 20 years. Mauritius tourism is recovering fast, and some markets are already performing better than prior to the pandemic. We therefore welcome the increase in …

Emirates and the South African Tourism Board have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly promote tourism and boost visitor arrivals and inbound traffic to South Africa from key markets across the Emirates network. The MoU was signed on the side-lines of Arabian Travel Market by Badr Abbas, Emirates’ Senior Vice President Commercial Operations for Africa, and The South Africa Tourism Board’s Acting CEO Mr Themba Khumalo. Also present at the signing ceremony was Adnan Kazim, Emirates Chief Commercial Officer, Minister of Tourism in South Africa, Lindiwe Sisulu and a senior government delegation from the South African Consulate in Dubai, His Excellency Consul General David Magabe and members of the South African Tourism Board. Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Chief Commercial Officer said: “For more than 25 years we have invested in, and grown our operations to, South Africa. We’re working hard to restore our services to pre-pandemic levels to help generate more opportunities for travellers from around the world to experience South Africa’s unique natural experiences, world-renowned cuisine, and local culture. Emirates is well-placed to support the recovery of South Africa’s tourism sector and help raise the profile of the destination again, offering convenient connections from over 130 destinations, and providing even more links for travellers who want to explore beyond our three South African gateways through our four airline partners.” Minister of Tourism in South Africa, Lindiwe Sisulu welcomed the signing of this MoU, citing the benefits it will yield for travel between South Africa and the Middle East. “We want to continue ensuring ease of access into South Africa for Middle Eastern travellers and this collaboration will assist us in elevating our trade efforts; in terms of packaging …

Marriott International, Inc. announced it has signed an agreement with The Red Sea Development Company to debut its distinguished Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand off the west coast of Saudi Arabia. Slated to debut in 2023, Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, is expected to form part of the eagerly anticipated Red Sea destination and offer a highly personalized leisure experience that blends intuitive and heartfelt service with stunning natural beauty and indigenous design. Nujuma will be the first property from the brand in the Middle East and joins an exclusive collection of only five Ritz-Carlton Reserves worldwide. “We are thrilled to bring our most luxurious brand, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, and its exemplary experience to the Middle East. Perfectly situated on one of the most anticipated regenerative tourism projects in the world, the resort will blend seclusion and sophistication to provide a highly personalized luxury escape,” said Jerome Briet, Chief Development Officer, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Marriott International. Nujuma will be situated on a pristine set of private islands, which are part of the Red Sea’s Blue Hole cluster of islands. Surrounded by unspoiled natural beauty and designed to blend seamlessly with the environment, the resort is expected to feature 63 one to four bedroom water and beach villas. Plans also include a range of luxurious amenities and exceptional services including a lavish spa, swimming pools, multiple culinary venues, a retail area and a variety of other leisure and entertainment offerings including a Conservation Center. Ritz-Carlton Reserve offers a complete escape to the unexpected: a private and transformative travel experience that is centered around human connection and brings together unique elements of the local culture, heritage and environment.  For the most discerning travelers seeking …

UAE’s Stella Stays announces its expansion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, introducing the first tech-enabled residential hospitality concept in the region. The highly anticipated Stella Stays Riyadh Olaya Tower will open its door in June 2022, as a significant milestone in the company’s impressive growth trajectory. Stella Stays Olaya Tower offers modern, fully equipped, tech-enabled apartments and hotel suites, a co-working space, recreational and commercial amenities. Stella Stays offers holidaymakers, business travellers, and residents a seamless hospitality experience, through leveraging ground-breaking technology and modern service. Guests and residents in Saudi Arabia will be able to use the Stella Stays app to navigate the entire journey – from booking and managing their stays, checking in, controlling smart home systems, to ordering a wide range of guest services. Payment terms are flexible and can be made through various methods, including debit, credit cards and crypto payments. Riyadh and Jeddah are strategic locations for Stella Stays’ expansion with more than 1 trillion dollars of real estate and infrastructure developments underway. The Kingdom’s economy has fueled solid growth in residential construction with developers progressing a booming number of freehold apartment projects. Saudi Arabia also offers some of the most attractive set-up costs in the real estate sector in the region. Commenting on the expansion, Mohammed Al Ghussein, Chairman of Stella Stays said: “We are extremely proud of our launch in Saudi Arabia, and we believe that our vision for the future of living and hospitality aligns perfectly with Vision 2030, in transforming the Kingdom into a world economic centre with blossoming tourism and entertainment industries. The speed of national development is phenomenal, with around 730,000 homes to be added to Riyadh by 2030. …

Canal Central Hotel Business Bay will focus on attracting travelers from Germany, France, UK , Italy, North America, Canada, Australia and GCC who contributed to the property’s record occupancy rate of 90% during the first quarter of the year. The team met with tour operators and key stakeholders at this year’s Arabian Travel Market (ATM), the Middle East’s premier travel show, the team gathered additional information to further understand the travel requirements of these travellers to acquire a more significant share of the market. “We were very excited to participate in this year’s edition of Arabian Travel Market after two years. This year was packed as the industry learnt the latest travel trends and new and potential markets and reinforce our valuable partnership with key players in the industry. ATM also gave us an excellent opportunity to leverage awareness about our facilities, especially since international travel has resumed, and Dubai has lifted most of the travel restrictions,” said Abdulla Al Abdulla, General Manager, Central Hotels Group. In addition to the new segment, Canal Central Hotel Business Bay showcased its summer promotions to continue attracting travellers from its top source markets, including the UK, Russia, Germany, France, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “This is an exciting time for the region’s tourism industry and offers a myriad of opportunities for the Group. Our portfolio caters to corporate and leisure guests, and our great business and leisure facilities are perfect for a holiday, business trip, or short break,” added Al Abdulla. This summer, the 278-room property will offer a 25% discount on the best available rate and a 15% discount on food and beverage. Guests will feel at home with spacious rooms, …

Turkish Airlines, flying to more countries than any other airline highlighted the use of sustainable aviation fuel and new destinations at the Arabian Travel Market 2022 including flights to Seattle. Visitors to the Turkish Airlines stand will also enjoy a host of activities, including flight simulations to explore Istanbul attractions virtually. The flag carrier is highlighting sustainable aviation fuel at ATM prompted by the awareness of the effect the aviation sector has on climate change and hopes to help reduce the carbon footprint of its customers. Sustainable aviation fuel reduces emissions by 87 percent and comes with high energy that helps reduce harmful particles of SOx and NOx emissions due to clean burn. It is produced from sustainable raw materials and devoid of harmful heavy metals. “With the use of sustainable fuel, our global fleet, spectacular airport lounges, network expansion and our exceptional hospitality and customer service, we expect another incredible year for Turkish Airlines. During this ATM hope to showcase our best travel options in terms of new destinations and world-class amenities,” said Mehmed Zingal General Manager for Turkish Airlines in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Turkish Airlines sustainability initiatives will enable the carrier to further expand its route network and achieve a further growth in both passenger and cargo transport. The carrier has initiated over 100 operational optimization projects since 2008 to lessen its carbon footprint and will continue to implement techniques to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. The airline recently celebrated its 40-year anniversary of flying to the UAE in synergy with the UAE’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. Now with an advanced hub and superior facilities, Turkish Airlines’ goal remains to continue expanding globally by increasing both …

Emirates and Royal Air Maroc launched a codeshare partnership, providing more travel options and connection choices for customers of both airlines between Dubai and Casablanca, and beyond.  Effective later this month, both airlines will place their marketing codes on each other’s flights between Casablanca and Dubai to a total of 209 combined destinations. The new partnership will offer customers from both airlines more ways to book and connect their travel between the two airlines’ networks. The codeshare agreement will also provide customers with more competitive single-ticket, multi-journey fares and baggage transfers to their final destination. The new codeshare flights are available for sale through royalairmaroc.com, emirates.com, travel agents, OTAs and through retail sales offices. Emirates customers will be able to access 17 destinations in Morocco beyond Casablanca, as well as to 63 international destinations, including an extensive North, West and Central African network spanning 25 points. Royal Air Maroc customers can access Emirates’ extensive network beyond Dubai of over 130 destinations, including 60 cities across the Middle East, United States, West Asia and the Far East. Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer Emirates Airline said: “We are delighted to enhance our partnership with Royal Air Maroc to a codeshare and offer our customers an unparalleled selection of destinations across Morocco, and a huge choice of onwards points in Africa. This partnership will further help strengthen our network connectivity, providing leisure and business travellers with more choice and convenience when connecting between both of our airlines. We look forward to developing our relationship together to provide greater benefits for our customers.” “We are very pleased to conclude this important partnership with Emirates which will contribute to the reinforcement of our traffic, and …

Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) and American Express Saudi Arabia, have further strengthened their partnership by introducing the possibility for all American Express Saudi Arabia Cardmembers to transfer two Membership Rewards® points for one AlFursan mile. The announcement comes as an extension of the ongoing successful partnership between the two parties through the existing AlFursan American Express cobranded credit card that allows American Express Saudi Arabia Cardmembers to earn miles directly using the card. Present to mark the occasion during a signing ceremony at the Arabian Travel Market in Dubai, were SAUDIA’s Vice President of Marketing and Product Management, Mr. Essam Akhonbay and American Express Saudi Arabia Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Khalid Mohammad Kayal. Commenting on the expanded partnership, Mr. Akhonbay said: “SAUDIA is proud to be building on the successful, long-standing partnership with American Express Saudi Arabia,” “Jointly, we are committed to providing members with additional convenience to maximize earned benefits and build travel journeys with flexibility in mind.” Mr. Kayal added: “Consolidating our strategic partnership with SAUDIA for the benefit of our Cardmembers is an important priority. The relationship with SAUDIA started with the successful AlFursan American Express cobrand credit card and through signing our new agreement all American Express Saudi Arabia Cardmembers will be able to access the benefit of our strategic partnership and redeem their Memberships Rewards® points toward AlFursan miles.” SAUDIA’s vast network of flights connects to more than 95 destinations across four continents. The airline recently announced the addition of 10 new international routes: Bangkok, Thailand; Barcelona and Malaga, Spain; Marrakech, Morocco; Mykonos, Greece; Moscow, Russia; Beijing, China; Seoul, South Korea; Entebbe, Uganda; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and Chicago, Illinois in the United States of America. …