The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s tourism ecosystem is undergoing a major overhaul with the announcement of a New Tourism Law approved this week by a Council of Ministers Resolution. The law will accelerate the development of an internationally competitive tourism sector in the Kingdom which will drive business, innovation, and investment. The New Tourism Law will establish new regulatory environments in the Kingdom to attract tourism innovators and improve ease of doing business. This allows new or experimental tourism businesses to receive special licenses and support from the Ministry, allowing them to flourish. It will also streamline licensing processes and procedures by creating a one-stop-shop platform for all tourism stakeholders. Both initiatives were announced in February 2022 as part of the Ministry’s Digital Tourism Strategy. With the new legal framework, the Ministry of Tourism will have greater control of the quality of tourism services offered within the Kingdom, ensuring the highest standards possible for both tourists and businesses while also strengthening destination development. The law also extends the Ministry’s remit for swift collaboration with government entities to mitigate risks and manage crises. The Council of Ministers further approved a resolution that empowers the Ministry of Tourism to enable sector growth. The resolution gives the Ministry permission to facilitate tax and custom exceptions or reductions with related government entities, creating powerful incentives for businesses to invest into the Kingdom’s growing tourism sector. It also enables the Ministry to work collaboratively with other private sector entities to establish work plans and training programs, enabling job creation and training for Saudis and boosting human capital development in the Kingdom. This new framework for collaboration with the private sector and relevant government entities will …

Finnair and Qatar Airways have concluded an agreement to establish a long-term strategic cooperation between Helsinki, Stockholm and Copenhagen and Doha. Finnair and Qatar Airways are exploring opening services also between another European destination and Doha. These services will be supported by a comprehensive codeshare agreement with shared passenger and cargo capacity between both airlines. Customers from the three Nordic cities will benefit from seamless connections via Doha to Qatar Airways’ extensive network of around 100 destinations across Australasia, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The collaboration will also open new destinations and connection opportunities across Finnair’s Nordic network for Qatar Airways’ customers. The services are planned to start between November and December 2022. They will be operated with Finnair’s Airbus A330 aircraft featuring Finnair’s new long-haul cabins, including industry-leading Air Lounge business class seats, a brand-new premium economy travel class and refreshed economy class. The flights to Doha are to be sold and marketed by both Finnair and Qatar Airways as per the schedule below: 7 weekly flights to and from Helsinki 7 weekly flights to and from Stockholm 7 weekly flights to and from Copenhagen Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, said: “As a fellow oneworld member, we enjoy a close relationship with Finnair and these new services to Hamad International Airport are an example of Qatar Airways working with partners for the benefit of our joint customers. This strategic partnership demonstrates our commitment to the Nordic markets and strengthens our position as the leading Middle East carrier in this important region. This partnership will be the foundation for the future expansion here.” HE Al Baker added: “Soon, Doha will be the oneworld hub …

Zamzam.com, the online platform facilitating Umrah booking services in the region, enters a strategic partnership with Merit Incentives to deliver on its brand promise ‘Umrah Simplified’. As part of this collaboration, Merit Incentives’ clients in the banking sector and its marketplace will equip their customers to redeem their loyalty points for Zamzam gift cards, providing all customers with the opportunity to gift their loved ones an Umrah experience. Registered users can redeem their loyalty points for a Zamzam gift card to plan their travel to Umrah and Hajj effortlessly and conveniently. In addition, customers can redeem their loyalty points on Zamzam.com to plan their pilgrimage to Mecca or visit Madina. Commenting on the partnership, CEO of Zamzam.com, Omar Seraj Akbar, said: “Delivering a seamless Umrah experience is paramount to our business. Our platform acts as a gateway to effective Umrah planning and is designed to help customers enjoy a seamless booking experience. Our alliance with Merit Incentives fulfils our strategic goal of expanding our network and providing a  religious tourism experience to a wider audience. Through this partnership, we aim to make Umrah travel accessible and more shareable than ever for everyone in the region and beyond.” At Merit Incentives, we are focused on providing the best customer and employee engagement technologies & strategies with new innovative ideas, said Julie Barbier-Leblan, CEO of Merit Incentives. Our main objective is to offer complete freedom of choice to our millions of programs’ end-users and personalise redemption options that match their personal, cultural or even religious preferences. Partnering with ZamZam.com to offer the Muslim community – in the MENA region and globally – an opportunity to redeem their points for Umrah packages was …

In line with Oman’s Vision 2040 strategy, which aims to develop a diversified and sustainable economy, Oman Air, the national carrier of the Sultanate of Oman, continues to provide Omani nationals the opportunity to gain insights into the aviation and logistics world through specialized internship programmes at Oman Air headquarters. In 2021, Oman Air provided internship opportunities to 250 students from various universities and colleges in Oman and abroad. Furthermore, more than 160 additional students are expected to finish their internship programme by the end of August 2022. Oman Air, Senior Vice President – People, Hilal Al Siyabi, stated: “Oman Air is pleased to lend its support to the youth of Oman and guide them through our internship programmes. We remain committed to Oman’s economic diversification and Omanisation objectives by training the next generation of Omanis in the aviation and logistic sectors. We want to encourage future aviation professionals to explore the full spectrum of positions available in the industry, whether for a flying or non-flying career.” Oman Air’s Talent department, in coordination with various units of the airline, accommodates undergraduate trainees by equipping them with the skills necessary to apply for and succeed in jobs within their chosen fields, such as Human Resources, Flight Operations, Airport Management, Marketing, Corporate Communications and Media, Logistics and Supply Chain, Engineering, Digital and Operations Management, among many others. “Interns are assigned designated coaches who are responsible for providing orientation and supervision and are accountable for mentoring and guiding the interns to maximize their potential.” Al Siyabi added. “We would like to thank the employees who contribute their expertise to the next generation. We acknowledge their efforts and appreciate their participation in achieving the …

As part of the group’s ongoing expansion strategy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Radisson Hotel Group (RHG) remains committed to upskilling Saudi nationals working in the hospitality industry. To further cement its intensive recruitment efforts in one of its key market feeders, the group has launched ‘A Brilliant Journey of Advance Development Programme’ (ABJAD), targeting employees within the Kingdom to develop their leadership profile and help them progress in their roles across its portfolio of 26 operational hotels. Alongside Radisson Hotel Group’s robust expansion plans, ABJAD aims to develop talents by producing skilled, well-trained and talented Saudi managers. The name “ABJAD” is derived from articulating the first letters of the Arabic alphabet in its original order, and is often used to symbolise the beginning of learning something new, which in this case alludes to leadership. Through ABJAD, talents from all departments currently on supervisory level will be provided with the tools, resources and guidance as they prepare for the next step in their hospitality career. ABJAD intends to flourish the talents with a focus on the following pillars: Own, Deliver, Collaborate, Lead. This initiative is also aligned with the Saudi 2030 Vision to raise the contribution of the tourism sector to the domestic product to more than 10% and to provide one million job opportunities. It further cements the group’s commitment to the region, in line with its new office in the Kingdom that is set to become operational at the end of the year. Basel Talal, Managing Director, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the Levant at Radisson Hotel Group comments: “Saudi Arabia remains to be a key market for us at Radisson Hotel Group and we aim to strengthen …

Turespaña, is the Spanish public body responsible for promoting Spain as a tourism destination, also part of the Spanish Embassy in the United Arab Emirates. The Spanish Business Council is a private non-profit organization acting as a corporate platform to strengthen business and cultural ties between Spain and the United Arab Emirates. For the past 16 years, their team has been introducing Spanish companies to the UAE market, both in the public and private sectors. This September, both organizations will launch the second edition of a thrilling gastronomic initiative, as a tribute to Spanish cuisine, the “Spanish Thursdays”. It will be hosted on September 8th and the operation will carry out a Thursday every two weeks, starting on Thursday, September 8th and ending on Thursday, November 24th. The “Spanish Thursdays” will take guests on a culinary tour of the SBC’s 7 member restaurants. · Thursday September 8th: Salero · Thursday September 22nd: Casa de Tapas · Thursday October 6th: Lola Taberna · Thursday October 20th: Central · Thursday November 3rd: 99 sushi bar · Thursday November 10th: Stage · Thursday November 24th: Seville´s The aim is to let Dubai residents discover the real Spanish culture and to ignite patrons appetite for its rich and flavourful cuisine. For those who have never visited Spain, this will be the opportunity to explore Spanish food and understand its relevant place in terms of culture and history. Hoping the experience will entice guests to travel to the sunny peninsula someday! During the “Spanish Thursdays”, exciting raffles will give the chance to win Taste of Spain and La despensa food hampers and Centaurus wine bottles. For those who unfortunately will not be able to attend, …

It was disclosed recently by Mamoun Hmedan, Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director, Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and India of Wego, said: “With FIFA World Cup approaching, travelers have started planning their trips and booking their tickets. With that, they are also searching for nearby hotels in the UAE, where they can see the best of both countries. And Dubai hotel searches are on the rise in the period between November and December 2022. If we were to look at the hotel daily rates in November and December 2021, they were around $225 and 240$ simultaneously. Recently, the daily rate on average for November 2022 is $345 and for December 2022 $410. We may still see change in prices as we approach the event dates, but these are the current numbers based on the searches from September to December 2022. The hotel and flight searches to Dubai, around the period of the event recorded over 96,900 on our platform and we expect to see an increase in searches and bookings as we get closer to the event date.”

As part of its endeavours to enhance cooperation with various stakeholders and achieve comprehensive tourism development objectives, the Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN Group) signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Office of Al Dakhiliyah Governor to develop several tourism projects in numerous tourist destinations in the governorate. The agreement was signed by H.E. Hilal bin Saeed Al Hajri, Governor of Al Dhakiliyah, and Eng. Mohammed Abu-Bakar Al Ghassani, Vice Chairman of OMRAN Group, in presence of senior officials from both parties in dusitD2 Naseem Resort, Jabal Akhdar. OMRAN Group continues to explore tourism development prospects in collaboration with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and various stakeholders. As part of the National Tourism Strategy 2040, ongoing efforts are being made to increase the tourism offerings in the Sultanate and enhance the sector’s competitiveness. By introducing novel experiences offered by Al Dakhilyiah governorate through various projects, OMRAN Group continues to foster the tourism sector in the governorate since it is considered as one of the main tourist destinations. Furthermore, it strives to promote qualitative experiences in the group’s projects and investments in the governorate, including Alila Al Jabal Al Akhdar, dusitD2 Naseem Resort Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Nizwa fort, Al Hoota Cave, Harat Al Bilad and Bahla Fort and Oasis.  

For the eleventh consecutive year, Emirates is returning as Official Airline of the US Open Tennis Championships, running from 29 August through 11 September.  The world’s largest international airline continues to utilise its global reach to bring tennis fans around the world closer to the game, serving up world-class tennis action at the Grand Slam® tournament. Emirates’ ongoing partnership with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the high-profile annual sporting event goes back to 2012. The airline’s portfolio of tennis sponsorships also includes three of the four Grand Slams in addition to 60 other tournaments throughout the year in partnership with the ATP, including the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Miami Open and BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells in the US. “Emirates has proudly supported the US Open for over a decade, born out of our commitment to connect people around the globe through a shared passion for sports. The US Open is one of the most highly-anticipated events on the global sports calendar and we are thrilled to be the Official Airline that brings worldwide audiences together to enjoy the game,” said Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, Emirates’ Divisional Vice President, USA and Canada. “As part of our ‘Fly Better’ brand promise we continuously strive to delight our customers with a premium experience that is second to none, both inflight and at the tournament. We look forward to being part of the excitement and reaching tennis enthusiasts in the US and around the world,” he added. With the US Open back in full force, Emirates is set to deliver a full array of activities to engage with tennis fans, whether attending in person or virtually. The Emirates suite, …

Saudi Airlines (SAUDIA), the Kingdom’s national flag carrier, continues its partnership with the Air Connectivity Program through direct flights departing from Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport to Tunis and Kuala Lumpur. The collaboration on the two flights will commence on September 1, 2022, to welcome more pilgrims during the upcoming Umrah season. The national flag carrier operates its latest, industry-leading aircraft between the two destinations which feature an array of premium services including 5,000 hours of onboard entertainment content. SAUDIA’s flights are equipped with comfortable seating on all flight levels and a myriad of additional perks that ensure guests enjoy an unforgettable experience. During the first half of 2022, nearly 4.8 million international guests flew SAUDIA, an increase of 242%. SAUDIA operated 28,600 international flights during H1 2022, an increase of 156%. Recently inaugurated flights to Barcelona, Zurich, Amsterdam and Seoul which have come as a result of SAUDIA’s collaboration with the Air Connectivity Program, have proven to be very popular among guests. Thanks to a combination of new, in-demand travel options and enhanced ground services, the two sides are expected to announce new international destinations in the near future. Currently, SAUDIA transports guests to more than 100 destinations across four continents. Guests are free to book their flights and make travel arrangements out of the comfort of their own homes or workplaces through the www.saudia.com website. Travelers can also use the airline’s smartphone app, which provides multiple optional services as well as aftersales support.