Miral welcomed 26 senior hospitality management students from Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy Les Roches, for an immersive learning experience at Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The visit formed part of the students’ Methods of Research Inquiry course in the Bachelor’s in Global Hospitality Management program, with Miral supporting them in applying research skills to address workplace challenges and develop practical solutions for hospitality businesses. The session provided a valuable opportunity to bridge academic theory with real-world application, nurturing future leaders in hospitality, tourism, and guest experience management. It also contributed to the students’ academic research projects focused on operational excellence and customer experience. As a world-class institution offering the same globally recognized hospitality education as Les Roches campuses worldwide, Abu Dhabi Hospitality Academy – Les Roches equips students with the skills, knowledge, and industry exposure needed to excel in the dynamic hospitality sector. This initiative reflects Miral’s long-term commitment to education, talent development, and industry engagement, while supporting national strategies to drive sustainable economic diversification and innovation within the sector. The initiative falls under the Education and the Arts, Culture & Tourism pillars of Miral’s Group Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy and reflects Miral’s commitment to empowering future tourism and hospitality professionals through purposeful, real-world learning. The programme was divided into three key parts, starting with a presentation introducing students to Ferrari World’s strategic positioning, guest experience innovation, and career pathways in marketing, communications, and experience management. Following the presentation, the students conducted observational research across the theme park, applying their learnings to understand how data-driven decisions enhance guest satisfaction, operational excellence, and experience design. For the final round, the students took the stage to present their insights and strategic findings to a …

AirAsia X (AAX) announced a long-awaited route to Istanbul, Türkiye, a city where East meets West. Travellers from Singapore can now access the heart of Türkiye with smooth connectivity via Kuala Lumpur. The new service between Kuala Lumpur and Istanbul will commence on 14 November 2025 with four weekly flights, strengthening AAX’s global footprint and offering more affordable travel options to one of the world’s most iconic destinations. This strategic launch marks AAX’s long-anticipated entry into Europe, opening a vital gateway linking Southeast Asia to Europe via one of the world’s most historically rich and geographically unique destinations. Straddling two continents across the Bosphorus Strait, Istanbul offers travellers the rare opportunity to experience the best of both worlds. The airline will operate from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW), a major hub with connections to over 117 international and 40 domestic destinations. This provides guests from Southeast Asia even greater onward travel options, while giving travellers from Istanbul and beyond seamless access to AirAsia’s network of 130 destinations at unbeatable value. Benyamin Ismail, CEO of AirAsia X said: “Istanbul has always been a dream destination for many of our guests, and its launch marks another proud moment in our journey to rebuild stronger than ever. Hot on the heels of our recent expansion into Central Asia, this long-awaited route takes us one step closer to delivering longer connectivity across continents. As the only city in the world built on two continents, Istanbul perfectly captures our vision to bridge Asia and beyond through affordable, medium-haul travel. This is a strategic decision that strengthens our network, creates more pathways for business collaboration, and enhances access to new experiences for travellers around the world. With …

Dubai International (DXB) is gearing up for a busy end to the summer holidays, with families returning from vacation and students travelling back to Dubai ahead of the new academic year. Between 13 and 25 August 2025, DXB is expected to welcome more than 3.6 million guests, with daily averages reaching 280,000. The busiest day is forecast for Friday, 15 August, with traffic set to exceed 290,000. The back-to-school surge follows a record-breaking first half of 2025, which saw Dubai welcome 9.88 million international overnight visitors, a 6% increase year-on-year—and DXB handle over 46 million guests, reaffirming its position as the world’s biggest international airport. Dubai Airports is working with the oneDXB community including airlines, control authorities, and commercial and service partners, to ensure a seamless, stress-free journey for every guest during this busy travel period. Here are some top essential tips and guidance to help guests navigate the airport with ease. Arrivals tips for a smooth welcome at DXB: For those travelling with families, children over the age of 12 can use Smart Gates to speed up the passport control process. Keep passports, boarding passes, and any necessary visas handy to speed up clearance. Make the most of the DXB experience with various amenities in lounges, dining and shopping outlets, and duty-free. Use the Dubai Metro, with stations conveniently located at DXB’s Terminals 1 and 3. Guests can also choose from a variety of other transport options, including Uber, Careem, RTA taxis, or car rentals. Enhanced support is available for People of Determination, including marked accessibility routes, discreet assistance for guests wearing Sunflower Lanyards, and a dedicated Assisted Travel Lounge in Terminal 2.  

Oman Air and Turkish Airlines announced a strategic Frequent Flyer Programme (FFP) Partnership to enhance the travel experience for their loyalty members from across the globe. With this partnership, members of each programme will access expanded mileage accrual opportunities across a broader global network. As of 1 August 2025, Turkish Airlines connects members of Miles&Smiles, its 21+ Million member-strong loyalty programme, to Muscat, Salalah and Khasab in Oman, and across the Oman Air network. In addition, members of Oman Air’s loyalty programme, Sindbad, will gain access to Turkish Airlines’ vast global network, with new earning opportunities across Türkiye, Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia and, the Americas. “This latest loyalty agreement, part of our ongoing partnership, is a meaningful step in expanding the value of our Sindbad programme and strengthening Oman Air’s international reach,” adds Mike Rutter, Chief Commercial Officer at Oman Air. “We look forward to offering our guests even more rewarding travel experiences around the world.” “Miles&Smiles becomes even more accessible with this agreement,” says Ahmet Olmuştur, Chief Commercial Officer at Turkish Airlines. “This partnership opens doors for our leisure and business travelers, simplifying their global journeys and making each trip a remarkable story.” This latest partnership demonstrates the airlines’ shared commitment to providing exceptional travel experiences for their respective guests. In addition to enhancing its loyalty offerings, Oman Air continues to grow its global footprint, with new destinations like Rome and Amsterdam and increased frequencies on key routes like London and Moscow, while continuing to strengthen codeshare partnerships with leading international carriers.

The Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) celebrates its 20th anniversary in the UAE this year, cementing its position as the region’s leading platform for hospitality and tourism investment with TravTalkMe as media partner. Looking ahead to 2026 and beyond, they foresee continued growth in secondary cities, mixed-use projects, branded residences, and tech integration, alongside rising ESG priorities. Their consensus: hospitality’s future will reward those who blend innovation with authentic guest experiences. Founded by The Bench, FHS has become a global meeting ground for leaders, innovators, and investors to connect, collaborate, and define the industry’s future. To mark the milestone, Chairman Jonathan Worsley invited six members of the exclusive FHS Club to share insights on the sector’s evolution. Leaders from Radisson Hotel Group, HVS, Accor, Hilton, Taiba Investments, and JLL highlighted the industry’s shift from asset-heavy to agile, diversified, and experience-led models, driven by sustainability, technology, and emerging markets.  

The Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) will host the 68th Annual Convention & Exhibition of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) from 17 to 19 September 2025, further deepening its strategic partnership with one of the emirate’s most important source markets. Held under the theme “Business with Goodness,” the convention will bring together a wide cross-section of India’s travel trade industry, including travel agents, tour operators, airlines, hospitality leaders, and tourism boards, to explore new growth avenues and reinforce bilateral ties. As one of the year’s most significant industry events, the convention highlights Abu Dhabi’s rising profile as a global hub for tourism, trade, and business events. Abdulla Yousuf, Director of International Operations at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “India continues to be a key priority market for us, not only in terms of visitor volume but also in long-term strategic collaboration. We are honoured to welcome TAAI’s esteemed members to Abu Dhabi and look forward to showcasing our destination’s remarkable evolution across world-class cultural icons, family attractions, luxury, adventure, and business travel offerings. This convention is an opportunity to build shared value and lasting partnerships across both our markets.” Sunil Kumar, President, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), said: “It is a proud moment for TAAI to bring the 68th Annual Convention to the dynamic city of Abu Dhabi in collaboration with DCT Abu Dhabi. Our theme, “Business with Goodness,” reflects our shared vision of building meaningful partnerships rooted in trust, purpose, and progress. This convention will not only provide an enriching platform for knowledge-sharing and networking but also offer our members an immersive experience into Abu Dhabi’s diverse cultural, leisure, and business landscape. We …

Qatar Airways and Accenture are joining forces to revolutionise the aviation industry through artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. This strategic partnership aims to elevate customer experience, optimise operational efficiency and enhance overall airline group performance. As part of this partnership, Qatar Airways and Accenture has established ‘AI Skyways’ to further position the multi award-winning airline as a leader in aviation AI and advance technology in the region and beyond. AI Skyways will lay the foundation to deliver value-led AI initiatives across the Qatar Airways Group through its responsible AI practices, data and platform offerings, and value realisation office that will quantify and maximise the value of AI initiatives. These will accelerate the implementation of AI solutions across a variety of aviation use cases including optimising flight schedules, enhancing predictive maintenance, and personalising customer interactions, allowing Qatar Airways to focus on delivering exceptional travel experiences. In addition, this will allow Qatar Airways to explore future trends and applications of AI in the aviation industry, to ensure sustained growth and adaptation, thereby strengthening its resilience to changing market demands. Qatar Airways’ Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “This partnership with Accenture to establish AI Skyways represents a significant milestone in our journey to become leaders in AI-driven aviation. AI Skyways will leverage AI to reimagine a spectrum of operations across Qatar Airways Group – from customer service to operations, to ensure that passengers enjoy a seamless and enriching travel experience. Furthermore, the partnership will focus on using AI for real-time data analysis to improve decision-making capabilities and operational responses.” This initiative plays a pivotal role in enabling Qatar Airways’ continuous journey to become a Digital-First organisation, leveraging AI and other …

From 26 October 2025, Lufthansa will once again be flying non-stop from Munich to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. The flight will depart three times a week at 9.45 p.m. LH640 is scheduled to land in Riyadh at 4.50 a.m. local time the following day. The return flight to Germany is scheduled to depart at 6:25 a.m. and arrive in Munich at 10:25 a.m. This gives passengers ideal connections to the global Lufthansa network via the Munich hub. The aircraft used will be one of the world’s most modern long-haul aircraft, the Airbus A350-900, with 293 seats in three classes. This year, Lufthansa is celebrating the 65th anniversary of its first flight to Saudi Arabia. Together with Eurowings and ITA Airways, it will be flying to Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah. These three Lufthansa Group airlines will offer their passengers a total of 22 weekly departures to Saudi Arabia in future. In total, the airlines of the Lufthansa Group fly to the region more than 120 times a week. Riyadh is the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with a population of just under eight million. The city is growing steadily and is home to numerous universities, museums and monuments. The metropolis is centrally located in the interior of the country, surrounded by desert, and has been the capital of Saudi Arabia since the country’s independence in 1932. Historically, it is a very important stopover on the pilgrimage routes to Mecca and Medina, the most important pilgrimage sites in Islam. In the future, Riyadh will host major events, such as the annual ‘Riyadh Season’ in winter, Saudi Arabia’s largest festival. The World Expo will take place in Riyadh in 2030, …

With the state-of-the-art main terminal set to be fully operational by the end of this year, and with more flights moving forward, Red Sea International Airport (RSI) is gearing up for seamless connections to this one-of-a-kind destination set to serve one million guests annually by 2030. Red Sea Global (RSG) announced that Red Sea International Airport (RSI) – operated by daa International – is receiving both domestic and international flights, marking an exciting step forward in its phased operation. Domestic flights have transitioned to the airport’s Main Terminal Building, at Terminals 3 and 4, offering travellers a smooth and elevated experience. Meanwhile, international arrivals and seaplanes continue to operate through the dedicated Air Taxi Terminal, ensuring seamless connectivity for visitors from around the globe. Every flight into RSI brings visitors closer to the natural beauty and unique experiences of The Red Sea. Whether arriving for a relaxing getaway, an adventurous escape, or a business trip, guests can expect a travel experience that reflects the destination’s commitment to innovation and hospitality. With more connections and services on the horizon, the airport is set to become a key gateway to one of the world’s most extraordinary destinations. Located 90 km south of Al Wajh in the west of Saudi Arabia, RSI is within three hours flying time for 250 million people and within eight hours for 85% of the global population. More than a transit point, RSI is moving in line with the vision of The Red Sea destination to deliver a world-class passenger experience shaped by innovation, hospitality, and a deep respect for the natural surroundings. Its design is inspired by the natural elements of desert, oasis and sea for a …

South African nationals residing in the UAE can now visit the VFS Global Visa Application Centre in Wafi City, Dubai, to renew their passports. VFS Global is the sole outsourced partner for the South Africa Department of Home Affairs in the UAE. Applicants no longer need to visit the Consulate General in Dubai to submit their passport renewal requests. They can now submit their applications at the VFS Global centre in Dubai or at the Embassy of South Africa in Abu Dhabi. Monaz Billimoria, Regional Head – UAE, VFS Global said, “We are excited to be offering passport renewal services for South African nationals living in the UAE. We thank the Department of Home Affairs for their steadfast faith in our services over the last 15 years that we have worked with them across the globe. We are confident that applicants will enjoy an enhanced customer experience when they visit us at the world’s largest centre here in Dubai.” To apply for consular passport services, begin by visiting https://services.vfsglobal.com/are/en/zap , selecting “Apply for Consular services → Passport,” and booking an appointment slot. Next, prepare all required documents according to the checklist provided online. On the scheduled date and time, visit the VFS Global centre to submit documents and complete biometric enrollment. The applicable fees must be paid at the centre during the appointment. After submission, you can track the progress of your application online using the application reference number. Please note that passports are processed in South Africa and returned to the VFS Global office in Dubai. Applicants are urged to apply at least 12 months before their current passport expires and are advised against making firm travel plans until the new passport …