His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, launched the 3rd edition of the “World’s Coolest Winter” campaign during the UAE Cabinet meeting, which was held in Al Zorah Natural Reserve in Ajman. The meeting was attended by H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance and H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum affirmed that tourism is a major component of the Emirati economy, where all federal and local entities partner to support this vital sector, stressing that the sector development needs cooperation between government and private sectors. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid said: “Today, I chaired the UAE Cabinet meeting at Al Zorah Natural Reserve in Ajman during which we launched the new season of the domestic national tourism campaign, ‘World’s Coolest Winter.” Highlighting Ajman as the starting point for the new season of the World’s Coolest Winter, His Highness noted “Ajman witnessed a tourism, economic, and urban transformation under the direction of my brother Sheikh Humaid bin Rashid. We are proud of the dedication of Sheikh Ammar bin Humaid and his brothers.” His Highness Sheikh Mohammed added: “The World’s Coolest Winter campaign, sparked an increase in domestic tourism by 36 percent in 2021, reaching 1.3 million domestic tourists. This year’s theme is “Our heritage” will focus on spreading the Emirati values.” The current edition of the campaign aims to support domestic tourism within the UAE and attract tourists from around the world to enjoy the warm winter by …

The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Tourism Ministers Committee held its sixth joint meeting chaired by His Excellency the Minister of Tourism, Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb, Chairman of the current session of the Committee, and in the presence of Their Excellencies the ministers in charge of tourism affairs in the GCC countries, alongside GCC Secretary General, Dr. Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf. HE Al-Khateeb welcomed HE Dr. Al-Hajraf, and their Highnesses, Excellencies, and delegation heads partaking in the meeting. His Excellency also expressed his gratitude to the Council General Secretariat for its efforts and distinguished work to achieve member countries’ aspirations. Moreover, His Excellency stressed that the tourism sector was essential in bringing together the peoples of the Gulf countries as emphasized through the expressed joint interest of their leaders in their unity and common destiny. Their Highnesses and Excellencies reviewed cooperation and partnership prospects for a purposeful and sustainable tourism sector among the countries of the region, thus contributing to the advancement of Gulf tourism and sustaining unprecedented growth and prosperity in this vital sector. Meanwhile, many issues were discussed, including the development of joint work between the tourism and culture sectors in the GCC countries, and the final version of the Gulf Tourism Strategy 2023-2030, initiated by the Kingdom to work on preparing its general framework in cooperation with the member countries and the GCC Secretariat. The meeting also recommended adopting the tourism guide in GCC countries, and thanked the Ministry of Tourism in the Kingdom of Bahrain for taking the initiative to prepare the guide. HE Al-Khateeb stated that the Gulf region was teeming with natural resources, including more than 17 sites registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List. …

Arabian Adventures, a leading UAE-based destination management company, tour and safari operator, is expanding its camp accommodation and service offering to further improve its popular ‘Overnight Safari’ experience. Also known as the brand’s ‘Luxury Desert Camping’, the popular experience in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve (DDCR) offers permanent tented accommodation with wooden decking amidst a natural green enclave, with a communal dining area, gazebo and bonfire set-up for gatherings at the centre. Now open for the winter 2022/23 season, new accommodation options are located at a nearby viewpoint higher on the dunes. From here, guests can access from their deck panoramic, uninterrupted desert views for the ultimate Arabian sunrise and sunset, and an additional element of privacy amongst the tranquil surroundings. Food and beverage options as part of the all-inclusive desert camping experience are also expanding for the new season. New menu items have been added to the line-up prepared for guests by the in-house culinary team, including unlimited soft drinks and premium beverages at a private bar, alongside a BBQ dinner and breakfast on the grill. Mohanad Malhas, General Manager at Arabian Adventures, commented: “An Overnight Safari in the Dubai desert offers a back-to-nature experience like no other. In the pristine surroundings of the protected DDCR, our guests can get up close to local wildlife and be assured that everything will be taken care of by our team of destination experts. We are witnessing increased demand for our full range of UAE experiences this winter, and a stay in the desert remains high on the wish list of residents and visitors alike.” Arabian Adventures’ camp now has a total of eight deluxe tents. Each accommodation can be booked by …

Valor Hospitality Partners Middle East recently announced their highly anticipated partnership with the Hospitality & Leisure vertical of Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the principal investment arm of the government of Dubai, which manages a portfolio of commercial companies and investments. With the joint venture firmly in place, Valor Hospitality has commenced operational transition of 800+ keys across popular and established hotels in the Emirate, including Dubai’s first five-star property, the Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek and 3 Wyndham Deira hotels. These properties which will retain their existing brands,will be added to the portfolio of operating and pipeline properties Valor have in the region. Valor Hospitality operate 85+ properties globally and enjoy preferred status or close partnerships with global hotel brands, working closely with owners to develop their assets. “We feel honoured to manage these hotels that have been part of the Dubai landscape for varying degrees of time. We feel sincere accountability towards our hotel guests, hotel teams, and hotel brands during the transition processes” said Euan McGlashan, CEO and global co-founder of Valor Hospitality Partners. “We have a strong history of retention of team members during the process of assuming operational management and remain committed to growing employee culture, in addition to ensuring personal and professional growth” McGlashan continued. A spokesperson for ICD said “Valor Hospitality bring global knowledge of a business model unique to the region that we are excited to see unfold and develop. The agreement will help Valor expand in the region, strengthen its operations and implement its strategies with the addition of the 4 properties in the ICD portfolio.” “The Middle East, and Dubai in particular, continues to lead when it comes to …

Sabre Corporation  celebrated the opening of a new office in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last week in the presence of representatives from travel companies and partners.  “We are excited to continue delivering our investment plan in Saudi Arabia and celebrate the opening of the second new office in the Kingdom this year,” said Abdul-Razzaq Iyer, vice president, Sabre Travel Network Middle East. “This reflects our commitment and continuous efforts to expand our operations and team to support the increasing needs of our customers in the Kingdom. We have invested in building a knowledgeable and diverse team to give our customers the support they require.” “We believe our efforts in the Kingdom are aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 strategy. We provide the technology and infrastructure to equip travel companies with the tools and solutions they need to help maximise their potential, provide exceptional customer experience and attract travellers from all around the world,” added Iyer.

Sabre Corporation and Conferma Pay announced a new partnership with Mastercard to accelerate the use of virtual cards for business-to-business (B2B) travel payments. The announcement builds on Sabre’s August 2022 acquisition of Conferma Pay.  The collaboration with Mastercard is the next step in advancing Sabre’s goal to create an open and independent travel payment ecosystem. Digitization of travel payments with virtual cards helps address the historic challenges associated with B2B leisure and corporate travel payments.  The securely generated, single use card numbers provide a link between booking and associated payments to third party suppliers.  Travel buyers and suppliers are therefore able to easily track and reconcile payments, as well as benefit from flexible pricing, financing options, and enhanced security through card payment guarantees. “The payments industry is in the midst of a revolution and there is an increased need for travel companies to better manage the whole payment experience,” said Roshan Mendis, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Sabre Travel Solutions.  “Companies in the travel space – including travel management companies, travel agencies, corporations, issuers and technology partners – need sophisticated solutions and seamless connections.  Sabre is taking strategic steps to fulfill the needs of our industry, beginning with the acquisition of Conferma Pay.  Now, the new partnership with Mastercard will help Conferma Pay to build new and enhanced digital capabilities in virtual cards, transforming the payment experience for issuers.” As part of the agreement, Mastercard has agreed to make a minority investment in Conferma Pay, which will continue to operate independently and serve the entire travel industry and beyond. “A combination of experience, technologies and capabilities will accelerate travel payment innovation and drive inclusive and sustainable growth for …

Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi, Founding and Executive Chairman of MEBAA – the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association, and Tim Hawes, Managing Director of Tarsus Group, outlined exciting new features of this year’s MEBAA Show 2022, during a virtual press conference. Ali Ahmed Alnaqbi, Founding and Executive Chairman of MEBAA – the Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association, said: “We’re excited to host this year’s MEBAA show, with just one week to go until representatives from across the industry gather to lay out the roadmap for business aviation in the future. The tremendous rise of business aviation is a trend we are not only witnessing in the Middle East, but in key international markets, and we are committed to supporting this growth and taking the industry to new heights. “The MEBAA Show has already established itself as the ideal place to meet and build relationships with regional and international professionals from across business aviation, and this year we are proud to see many of our long-term exhibitors return for another show, as well as welcome many new ones to highlight the latest innovations shaping the industry.” “Our 2022 show will also see the introduction of brand new features, including the BizAv Talks conference, where we’re excited to hear from over 45 industry experts from across the globe during a series of insightful debates and presentations on the trends shaping the business aviation industry. We’ll also be encouraging attendees to download our newly launched AI-powered MEBAA Show Connect app, which will facilitate business connections between exhibitors and visitors and pre-schedule meetings in advance, all in line with our aim to take networking to the next level.” Tim Hawes, …

Leading growth and transformation consultancy Prophet announced the launch of the destination brand and launch campaign for Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT). Armed with the desire to position Abu Dhabi as more diverse, open and progressive, and to better promote the emirate’s heritage and culture, DCT engaged Prophet to design a destination brand and campaign that could work to inspire, excite, restore and welcome the world to enjoy its unique offering. “Abu Dhabi has been developing rapidly and it was our job to tap into the essence of this fascinating place and design a brand and campaign to share with the world,” said Jessica Holdcroft, partner at Prophet who led the strategy on the project. “We took a customer-centric, data-led, approach to developing the brand, starting with a deep immersion in all that Abu Dhabi has to offer – both the tangible and the intangible – and to see first-hand the diversity of experiences on offer.” The new campaign: Experience Abu Dhabi. Find Your Pace has now been unveiled in Abu Dhabi, the GCC, France, the U.K. and the U.S. Celebrating its Emirati heritage and seamlessly connecting it to the living culture offered by the Saadiyat Cultural District – home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi – and Yas Island’s exciting theme park and waterfront attractions, the destination campaign welcomes the world to enjoy Abu Dhabi’s enriching experiences, at their own pace. From the positioning and messaging, to the verbal and visual expression, the campaign was designed to support Abu Dhabi’s growth ambition to be among world-class destinations of choice,” said Clive Rohald, partner and executive creative director at Prophet. “In order to bring the new tourism destination …

Red Sea Global (RSG), the developer behind two of the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism projects, The Red Sea and AMAALA, has announced new partnerships with The Ocean Race (TOR) for the next two editions of the Race, and with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) who will amplify their stories around the world. The Ocean Race has provided the ultimate test for sailing teams since 1973. Known as ‘sailing’s greatest round-the-world challenge’, it is widely recognized as the pinnacle of achievement for sailors across the world, and has created legends of the sport throughout the years. Beyond the race itself, The Ocean Race acts as a global platform to raise awareness of the environmental challenges facing the world’s marine environment and drive positive change. Over the years, it has brought together like-minded partner organizations from across the globe with a shared vision of protecting and enhancing our oceans, seeking to mobilize policymakers and industries in host countries to take action on an international scale. “We are proud to become the Regenerative Project Partner of The Ocean Race. Sustainability sits at the very heart of our work at Red Sea Global, so The Ocean Race – and its impressive ambitions when it comes to ocean health – makes them a natural fit as a partner,” said John Pagano, Group CEO of Red Sea Global. “The sea has always been an important part of Saudi Arabia’s history and heritage – dating back to the ancient spice trade routes, and creating thriving communities along its coasts. Through this partnership, we hope to support the efforts of The Ocean Race to raise awareness of the challenges facing our oceans globally today, and protect the outstanding …

Diriyah. The City of Earth. begins a new chapter in its history as At-Turaif, the UNESCO World Heritage Site, the original home of the Al Saud family, and the seat of governance of the First Saudi State, opens its doors to the public for the first time on the 4th of December 2022. The opening season will include a vibrant public program of events, performances, and activities for all visitors to experience which will celebrate and bring the heritage site and birthplace of the Kingdom to life. Located in the heart of Diriyah, north-west of the capital Riyadh, At-Turaif is the birthplace of the modern Saudi state founded in 1727 and is regarded as one of the country’s most important heritage sites and a symbol of Saudi identity. For over fifty years, this area served as the principal residence of House Al Saud and the administrative district of Diriyah, the center of a state that spanned the Arabian Peninsula. Visitors will be able to walk through a vast heritage site of restored mudbrick palaces, mosques, former defensive towers, and curated galleries that tell the definitive story of Saudi Arabia’s formation and the rise of the Saudi dynasty. A beautiful example of the distinct Nadji-style architecture, At-Turaif is one of the most historically significant and architecturally impressive mudbrick settlements in the world. Open all year round and with no ticket required on weekdays until 4 pm, visitors will be able to explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site across a variety of mediums to suit their own interests. From guided tours, offered every 30 minutes in Arabic and English; to Nuzul, an immersive theatre across an entire street of the district bringing …