The Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) recently announced the arrival of the first two cruise ships into the Kingdom, where more than 5,600 visitors were aboard the MSC and AIDA cruise lines. Additionally, a tour around the Kingdom was also organised where visitors had the chance to visit some of Bahrain’s tourist attractions. “We are happy to welcome the first two cruise ships for 2018 and are committed to providing all the facilities necessary to ensure their safe arrival into the Kingdom. We look forward to receiving more cruise ships over the next few months. This comes as part of the BTEA’s focus to revitalise the tourism sector for growth of the national economy,” said H.E. Shaikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer, BTEA. “During the current cruise season which runs between November and May, Bahrain is expected to receive 33 cruise vessel calls and almost 80,000 visitors from prestigious cruise lines including the world-renowned Crystal Cruises,” he added. Hosting cruise ships comes as part of the BTEA’s long-term strategy to further develop the Kingdom’s tourism sector under the slogan of ‘Ours.Yours.’, which contributes towards the Kingdom’s 2030 Economic Vision.

Etihad Guest and Visa, the world’s leader in digital payments, have given 11 lucky members of Etihad Guest a New Year gift of one million Etihad Guest Miles each in a Miles Millionaire competition. Members of the airline’s loyalty programme who registered for the promotion and booked a flight with Etihad Airways using their Visa card before October 21, had the chance to win one of 11 one million Etihad Guest Miles prizes. Yasser al Yousef, Managing Director, Etihad Guest, congratulated the Miles Millionaire winners at a presentation ceremony at Etihad Airways’ head office in Abu Dhabi. He said, “We are delighted to have our members win these miles – giving them the opportunity to live the high life with Etihad Guest and Visa.” One million miles can buy a host of products, including seven Etihad Airways flights with a friend; or four iPhone 7s, four Go-Pros, four sets of Bose headphones or 87 grams of gold. Etihad Guest Miles can be used to purchase flights, upgrades and thousands of products from the online Reward Shop.

Passenger traffic at the Dubai International Airport (DXB) reached 6,953,596 in November compared to 6,581,805 recorded in the corresponding month in 2016, an increase of 5.6 per cent, as per a latest report. Year to date, passenger numbers at DXB have risen 5.8 per cent to 80,387,442 compared to 75,947,899 recorded during the same period in 2016. This upward trend in passenger traffic has been continuing during the past year at Dubai Airports. Once again, the most significant contribution to passenger numbers came from the Indian Subcontinent and Western Europe. The two regions were up 7.5 per cent and 8 per cent respectively, and more than 1.5 million passengers travelled through DXB from each region in November. These figures were reflected in the top cities, where London (310,551) and Mumbai (217,279) were the highest. For the first time in four months, Saudi Arabia (534,906) climbed to the second spot in terms of passenger numbers by country, moving in front of the UK (507,796). India (999,625) remained the top destination country for Dubai International. November’s flight movement figures at DXB totalled 33,421 down 3.7 per cent on 2016, however the average number of passengers per flight during the month remained high at 215, up 7.3 per cent year on year.

Emirates airline will operate a special A380 flight to Kuwait for UAE supporters to attend the finals of the Arabian Gulf Cup, as announced by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chief Executive Officer, Emirates. The UAE team will face Oman in the final match which is set to be held this Friday on January 5. Details of the special flight will be made available as soon as possible.

The Dubai Festival City has partnered with Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) to ensure a valuable retail tourism experience to visitors during the ongoing Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF). With over 400 retail stores at Dubai Festival City Mall participating during DSF, IKEA Festival City is giving shoppers a chance to win a complete top-of-the-range room furniture up to AED 10,000 by spending AED 1,000 as part of the DSF Dream Home Raffle. Dubai Festival City Mall’s first ever ‘Paddington World’ in Festival Square saw over 45,000 customers in just four weeks of its launch. Steven Cleaver, Director – Shopping Malls, Al-Futtaim Group Real Estate said, “With the new Festival Wheel on Festival Bay, special Star Wars IMAGINE shows every night, great deals across the mall and exciting prizes each week, Dubai Festival City Mall is guaranteed to entertain shoppers this DSF. A brand-new city sightseeing route and a convenient RTA water taxi stop has been added to the festival experience for residents and tourists alike.”

In an effort to have a strong presence of sustainability initiatives, Six Senses Zighy Bay has purchased its own fleet of seven of Nissan’s Pathfinder SV 4WD Hybrid vehicles, which will transport guests to the resort and take them for extraordinary experiences in the surrounding region. Guests arriving at the border for transfer to the resort will get their first experience of the new vehicles, as they enjoy the exhilarating off-road approach to Six Senses Zighy Bay. The hybrid vehicles will also be used to take them to the resort’s fine dining experience on the mountaintop. For adventurous guests, the cars will be used for excursions to Dibba town and the resort’s own farm and to the marina to enjoy a cruise from the Dhahab yacht. Aaron McGrath, General Manager, Six Senses Zighy Bay, said, “Until now, we’ve been using vehicles from a partner over which we have no real control of their environmental credentials; something which is incredibly important to our sustainability initiatives. We reviewed the vehicles available in our market and concluded that the Pathfinder SV 4WD Hybrid would be best suited to our resort.”

Etihad Aviation Group announced a year-long programme of activities and humanitarian initiatives to mark 2018 as the Year of Zayed. Etihad Airways inaugurated its Year of Zayed activities recently by holding a flag-raising ceremony attended by employees. UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan declared 2018 the Year of Zayed, a nationwide initiative, which will highlight the UAE founding father’s unparalleled role in establishing the UAE Federation, and his local, regional and international achievements as well as his values and principles. Khaled Al Mehairbi, General Manager, Etihad Airport Ground Services, said, “We are tremendously proud of the rapid growth of Abu Dhabi and the union. All the people of the UAE will always remain the most important element of our nation’s development. This was our father Sheikh Zayed’s main objective and vision. This year is a momentous one as we honour his achievements and celebrate his legacy in Abu Dhabi and around the world.” In support of the national initiative, and to reaffirm its commitment to the UAE, Etihad has launched a strategy based on the government’s four Year of Zayed pillars- wisdom, respect, sustainability and human development.

Emirates extended its popular ‘My Emirates Pass’ programme to customers flying to or through Dubai between January 1 and March 31, 2018. The programme gives Emirates’ customers exclusive offers and discounts across the city by turning the Emirates boarding pass into an exclusive membership card. Customers can take advantage of a range of offers at some of Dubai’s best known hotspots by simply showing their Emirates boarding pass and a valid form of identification. ‘My Emirates Pass’ has also expanded the programme with more partners – customers can now enjoy special discounts at over 250 world class restaurants and hotel dining outlets in Dubai. Exclusive offers are also available on a range of leisure activities including visits to championship golf courses, theme parks or luxury spas across the city. “This year, we’ve doubled the number of partners in the programme to give our customers more options and even better value on their visit. Whether it’s your first time in Dubai or a return trip, there is always something new to explore,” says Mohammad Al Hashimi, Vice President, Commercial Products Dubai, Emirates airline.

The fifth edition of Sharjah World Music Festival (SWMF) is back to entertain the UAE from January 12-19, 2018. It is presented by Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) in a strategic partnership with Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA) and Al Majaz Amphitheatre. Festival organiser, Furat Qaddouri Music Centre, has confirmed that a stellar line-up of artists and musicians from the Arab and Western worlds will be performing in this edition. Dozens of artists, musicians and instrumentalists from 11 countries are set to perform at four different venues in Sharjah, namely, Al Majaz Amphitheatre, The Flag Island Theatre, Al Qasba and Al Majaz Waterfront during the eight-day festival. From Arabic to Andalusian and famous Jazz orchestras, the festival will feature a mix of musical traditions from around the world. “Every year, SWMF gives citizens a golden opportunity to escape the business of everyday life and absorb the sights, sounds and colours of the event across eight days. The event will showcase a spectacular selection of musical stalwarts from the region and beyond,” said artist Furat Qaddouri, Manager, Sharjah World Music Festival.

With ecotourism spots located in the central region, Sharjah is steadily improving its development and public infrastructure projects in the area. A new shopping mall has been opened in the town of Al Madam on the Dubai-Hatta road, just 20 minutes away from the famous Mleiha ecotourism centre. All 27 retail units at Al Badayer Shopping Mall have been leased, although the facility is being opened to the public in two phases. Phase two of the mall is expected to be opened in February 2018, which will be dominated by a large camping equipment, sporting goods and outdoor supplies retailer. Sharjah’s retail sector is currently enjoying a period of strong growth, with more than 4 million square feet of new mall space expected to be added to the sector by 2020. Projects include the expansion of existing shopping malls in Sharjah, two new mega-malls outside the city area, plus local shopping centres in the emirate’s central and eastern regions. The Government of Sharjah is currently implementing a 25 year strategic development plan for its central region, which includes the towns of Al Dhaid, Mleiha and Al Madam. The plan aims to enhance the quality of life, prosperity and job opportunities for residents of region.