The 4th Abu Dhabi Family Forum 2023, organised by the Family Development Foundation (FDF), continues to attract visitors, heritage lovers and people interested in learning about the cultural and popular heritage through a variety of cultural activities, performances and sessions that are being organised in collaboration with various entities. A number of events and activities were organised at the Emirati Heritage Station, including ‘Saf Al Khos’ organised by the UAE Heritage Club, ‘Old Emirati Wedding’ organised in cooperation with the Women’s Association Sanad Al Watan, as well as the ‘Al Sanaa Al Emirati’ organised by the Sharjah Heritage Centre. Numerous visitors of different ages visited the Event Theatre at the Emirate Heritage Station, which featured heritage and entertainment competitions with a wide audience participation. The competitions included the Emirati Popular Proverbs and Wedding Competition, UAE History Workshop, Bakery Workshop, and Children’s Popular Games Workshop. The station offers tourists with an immersive experience of UAE heritage and culture through the ‘Al Nabti Poetry’ competition, which is jointly organised by the Family Development Foundation schools in collaboration with ADNOC schools, in which participants can delve into the local food culture through the engaging cooking corner and its competitions. Additionally, the ‘Coffee Corner’ showcases authentic UAE hospitality and welcoming rituals, emphasising the significance of Arabic coffee in the lives of Emiratis. For those interested in the historical aspects, ‘Cinema Al Awal’ presents an opportunity for visitors to enjoy old shows and series produced by Abu Dhabi TV. Aisha Salem Al Kaabi, Senior Organiser and Head of UAE Heritage Station, said: “Through the Emirati Heritage Station and with strategic partners and entrepreneurs, our efforts have been dedicated to imparting the rich cultural heritage of …

Conrad Bahrain Financial Harbour is slated to open by Q1 2024 with 96 suites and two penthouses. The highly anticipated opening is part of the Bahrain Financial Harbour, a commercial waterfront development located in Bahrain Bay. With 96 suites and two penthouses, the property will provide an exceptional location for hotel guests and residents to enjoy spectacular coastal views of the Arabian Gulf while being conveniently located in the heart of the capital city’s up-and-coming business and residential district.

The third edition of the #DubaiDestinations winter campaign was launched to be held from 15th to 31st December 2023. The campaign puts the spotlight on the unique places, activities and attractions that make Dubai one of the world’s most-loved winter getaways. As part of the campaign, Brand Dubai announced that it has partnered with the Supreme Committee Overseeing Hatta Development to launch the inaugural edition of the Hatta Festival, a vibrant celebration of culture, sports and family entertainment in the heart of Dubai’s picturesque mountain region. This launch was conducted under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Second Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Chairman of the Dubai Media Council; Brand Dubai, the creative arm of the Government of Dubai Media Office (GDMO). Being held from 15-31 December at the newly-developed Leem Lake in Hatta and the Hatta Wadi Hub, the festival is the centrepiece of the third edition of the #DubaiDestinations winter campaign. Running until February 2024, the latest season of the campaign seeks to tell the story of Dubai’s emergence as one of the world’s best winter destinations. Over the next two months, the campaign will unfold with captivating narratives from diverse sources on the emirate’s unique winter activities and experiences. Marking the launch of the campaign, Brand Dubai hosted a press conference at GDMO to outline the key activations at the Hatta Festival and the prominent attractions that capture the spirit of the larger winter campaign. The launch of the ‘Hatta Festival’ aligns with the leadership’s directives to transform Hatta into a prominent business, investment and tourism destination. It also aims to highlight the historical importance and natural and archaeological wonders …

Turkish Airlines has once again added Osaka International Airport to its flight network starting from December 12. This move stands as a testament to the airline’s ongoing commitment to network expansion, ensuring passengers enjoy unparalleled connectivity. Flights to Osaka now operate four days a week—on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays—between Istanbul Airport and Osaka International Airport, featuring the Boeing 787-9. Turkish Airlines Chairman of the Board and the Executive Committee, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Bolat stated, “Reinstating our flights to Osaka not only strengthens the presence of Turkish Airlines in the Asia-Pacific region but also demonstrates our dedication to connecting people and cultures around the world. “We continue to offer the highest quality service while enabling our passengers to explore the world with our extensive and far-reaching flight network.” Osaka is the third largest city in Japan after Tokyo and Yokohama, respectively, and one of the most popular tourist destinations of the island country. Considered the capital of Japanese cuisine, Osaka is known as a gourmet city while also serving as a gateway to exploring the Kansai region, Kyoto, Nara, and Kobe. Tourists wishing to explore the wonders of Japan can now experience the unique blend of historical and modern attractions in Osaka with Turkish Airlines.  

Qatar Airways welcomed Iberia’s first non-stop flight to Doha, Qatar from Madrid, Spain. Iberia’s new daily service complements Qatar Airways’ two daily flights between the capital cities of Spain and Qatar and three daily flights between Barcelona and Doha. These services expand on our commitment to the Spanish market and support our joint ambition to expand the world’s largest airline joint business between Qatar Airways, British Airways and Iberia. This addition, further cements the Skytrax “Best Airport in the Middle East”, Hamad International Airport (DOH), as a gateway to the world. Through Madrid, London and Doha, the three strategic partners offer unparalleled connectivity to more than 200 destinations in Asia, Australasia, the Middle-East and Africa, with the most efficient transfers through their five-star hubs. Whether travelling from Madrid to Bali, Sydney to Ibiza, Lisbon to Maputo, or Doha to Malaga, the combined networks will provide fast and reliable itineraries to all passengers. “As part of the unique partnership between Qatar Airways, British Airways and Iberia, passengers can enjoy the best service on the ground and in the air, while seamlessly connecting to their favourite destinations. The unique partnership between Qatar Airways, British Airways and Iberia offers more customers even greater flexibility, choice and value, and today’s inaugural flight reinforces Qatar as a destination of choice in the region, and Hamad International Airport as a global gateway.” Passengers transferring through Hamad International Airport are treated to a vast array of offerings that transform the transit experience into a seamless journey. Serving as a diverse lifestyle destination, the airport caters to all passenger profiles, ensuring a personalised and enjoyable visit. Offering a plethora of dining and shopping options to numerous spaces for …

Swissotel Al Murooj Dubai won ‘Best 5 Star Business Hotel’ at the sixth edition of the most coveted industry awards, the Arabian Travel Awards 2023. Amro Nagah – General Manager – Swissotel Al Murooj shared, “This award, gives me the confidence to go back to my team and celebrate with them and make sure that we provide a superior service to every individual, which again gives us self confidence with this prestigious award and we are really honoured to have won it.”

Iran announced the removal of visa requirements for 33 nations, including Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia, marking a significant shift in diplomatic dynamics after years of strained relations and a recent thaw in ties. According to ISNA, the new countries under consideration for visa-free travel to Iran in the near future are Argentina, South Africa, Indonesia, Jordan, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ecuador, Algeria, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Belarus, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Paraguay, Peru, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Thailand and Turkmenistan. In March, Iran and Saudi Arabia reached an agreement brokered by China to restore diplomatic relations, which were severed in 2016. As part of this diplomatic thaw, citizens of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Bahrain, among other things, will now benefit from visa requirements being waived. As for Russians, they will only benefit from the visa exemption when travelling to Iran in groups. At the same time, Omani nationals enjoyed visa-free travel to Iran before this recent announcement. In a significant development, Iranian pilgrims are set to commence regular travel to Saudi Arabia starting on December 19, marking the first time in eight years for such a routine pilgrimage between the two nations. In January 2023, Ali-Asghar Shalbafian, Iran’s vice president of tourism, proposed ​​waiving visas for travellers from 50 countries. However, this list now includes only 45 countries that will enjoy visa-free travel to Iran. Shalbafian also mentioned a previously signed program to waive visas for specific tourist groups between Iran and Russia, initiated in 2017 by former Iranian President Vladimir Putin. Furthermore, in November 2023, the Iranian government, following a proposal by the Ministry of Tourism, eliminated visa requirements for passport holders …

President William Ruto delivering a speech at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, Kenya during Jamhuri Day Celebrations on December 12, 2023 shared that starting January 2024, the government will abolish the requirement of visas for all visitors coming to Kenya. To implement the new policy, he said the state has developed a digital platform to ensure that all travelers to Kenya are identified in advance on an electronic platform. This means that all travelers will only need to obtain electronic travel authorisation before visiting the country which is known for its tourist attraction sites. “It is with great pleasure, as president of this extraordinary country, to make a historic announcement of the decision of the Government of Kenya. Beginning January 2024, Kenya will be a visa-free country,” Ruto said. “It shall no longer be necessary for any person from any corner of the globe to carry the burden of applying for a visa to come to Kenya. To echo the call of the Turkana people to the world: “Tobong’u Lorre!” Kenya has a simple message to humanity: Welcome Home!” he added. The move comes at a time when most countries are making progress towards simplifying entry processes and dropping restrictions on some other nations.

It was announced on the sidelines of COP 28 that WTTC and Sustainable Hospitality Alliance will launch ‘Hotel Sustainability Basics’ which is a verification (or stamp) for hotels and lodging accommodation to meet 9 out of 12 criteria which includes water, energy and treatment of employees to name a few in order to obtain this certification. This is aimed mainly at small and medium hotels as the bigger names already have their own schemes. Julia Simpson, President and CEO WTTC shared, ‘ I’m proud to say that with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance we have launched ‘Hotel Sustainability Basics stamp’. It is a verification that a hotel or a lodging accommodation that is used by tourists has met a certain standard and the reason we’re doing that is some of the big companies like Hilton’s and Intercontinental, the Marriotts have their very sophisticated sustainability schemes that look at water as well as other energy uses, but 80% of our sector we think are small and medium hotels. They don’t necessarily have access to the know-how or the resources. Some are very advanced but not all of them do so, hence, we wanted to create something created by the industry, for the industry so we reached out to the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and created a stamp called the basics and part of that is a hotel will have to meet nine out of 12 criteria in different categories. One of them is water the other is energy use another is how they work with their suppliers and their communities and another really important part is how they treat their employees so it’s a really useful tool but it’s only a stepping stone …

After the record-breaking 2023 edition of the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Saudi Arabia, which saw over 1,100 delegates from 35+ countries attend, the Kingdom’s most influential hospitality investment event returns to Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh from 29 April to 1 May 2024. Launched in partnership with Saudi Arabia’s G20 Secretariat in 2020, FHS Saudi Arabia brings together the hospitality investment community’s industry leaders and decision-makers to discuss development, investment, entrepreneurship, sustainability, innovation, and human capital with insights on the continued growth of the Kingdom’s hospitality and tourism sectors. With the support of host sponsors Al Faisaliah Hotel and Al Khozama Investment, this will be the seventh industry conference organised by The Bench for the Saudi market. “We are thrilled to welcome back Al Faisaliah Hotel and Al Khozama Investment as our host sponsors after the resounding success of this year’s event at the iconic Al Faisaliah Hotel,” said Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of The Bench. “The objectives of FHS Saudi Arabia are strategically aligned with Vision 2030, and our carefully curated programme will focus on the development and sustainable growth of the hospitality industry in Saudi Arabia, the adoption of tech, innovation and entrepreneurship in the sector, as well as investment and job creation opportunities.” FHS Saudi Arabia 2024 will address the Kingdom’s latest developments and the industry’s hottest topics under the theme “Invest in Tomorrow: Today, Together,” with conference tracks focused on hospitality investment, industry entrepreneurship, sustainable development, and human capital. “The FHS Saudi Arabia Advisory Board convened in Riyadh last month to discuss and shape the event programme and we look forward to developing their invaluable input on topics and speakers into a thought-provoking three-day agenda,” said Tanja …